


The Healing Potion of the Divine Mother

by m3110w



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Complete, Friendship, Spiritual
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:01:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 50,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24996544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/m3110w/pseuds/m3110w
Summary: Summary: An unexpected muggle "witch" creates a powerful magic healing potion that changes the course of history for Hogwarts. Set in 6th year (kind of). AU elements. No romance.Disclaimer: All recognizable characters and settings belong to J. K. Rowling.





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary:** An unexpected muggle "witch" creates a magic potion with powerful healing properties that changes the course of history for Hogwarts. Set in 6th year (kind of). AU elements. No romance.

**Disclaimer:** All recognizable characters and settings belong to J. K. Rowling.

_**Author's note:**_ _One of the inspirations that prompted me to write this, my first fanfic, is the HP fanfic story "Breath of the Nundu" by corvusdraconis. It's my favorite. Highly recommended. I haven't read the canon HP books so a little warning; if you've read them, some things in this story won't match up. All my knowledge of the HP world comes from reading fanfic. I'm also a fan of rationalist fiction like 'Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality'. So I tried to add some 'rationalist' sensibilities into this story by trying to have the characters behave in a 'rational, thinking ahead' kind of way. Let me know of any inconsistencies and plot holes._

~o~o~o~

**The Healing Potion of the Divine Mother**

~o~o~o~

**Chapter 1**

~o~o~o~

December 26, 1996, Thursday morning. Hogwarts.

As he walked down the old stone hallway, Harry Potter began hearing the buzz of conversation from the Great Hall of Hogwarts. Because of the Christmas holidays it was quieter than usual. This gave Harry a little twinge in his belly that was not unpleasant. Being a solitary type in many ways, he liked the feeling of being with a small group while most of the other students were away with families and extended families.

The increasing murmur of breakfast conversation merged in a nice way with the sound of his footsteps echoing off the stone walls and high vaulted ceiling. The faces in the paintings watched his progress like sidewalk coffee shop patrons watching passersby in an old part of town. Harry tried to quiet his thoughts and blend his mind and awareness with sounds. He wanted, and needed, to relax. Dealing with Voldemort and the Wizarding War was way more than a 16 year old boy should have to deal with.

_At least this year is half over._ He thought to himself. _Don't dwell on the past; doesn't help you or anyone else._

Try as he might, it was often difficult to follow the wise internal advice that arose from part of his being, a part that often seemed inaccessible. And it was difficult to listen to when the pain from his forehead scar flared up as it was doing a lot in the past few months. He didn't mind the physical pain so much, but the pain would also warp his mind and emotions if he wasn't careful.

_Breathe and relax._ He thought to himself, _Just let the feelings come and go._

Harry turned right into the Great Hall and came into view of the students and staff enjoying breakfast. Christmas was a few days ago and holiday decorations were placed all around the room. Magical candles floated here and there and the festive scene was beautiful and subdued. In one corner a tall, well decorated Christmas tree slowly turned showing off its many magical glass baubles, small hanging toys and lights.

It was a cold cloudy day and diffuse light was flowing into the Hall from the eastern windows. Ancient heroes and heroines played out their grand adventures on the tall dramatic stained glass windows. Harry briefly looked their way and wondered what moments of darkness they struggled with in their long ago lives, real or mythical.

"Hey Lazybones Potter, welcome finally to our humble breakfast party. We tried to save some goodies for you and failed miserably." said George Birkhoff of House Ravenclaw.

"Lazybones my shiny arse." replied Harry, "While you blokes and blokettes were here stuffing your faces I was grinding through a nice morning workout. Only thing that keeps me sane these days. Now I've got a massive appetite to work through, so make some room."

Geraldine Darden of House Gryffindor patted the chair next to her. "Well Mr. Massive, you can sit your shiny arse here and stuff your mush and we'll enjoy the show."

"Best idea I've heard this morning." Harry said, "Offer accepted. But some bad news, the show will be nothing compared to what Ron Weasley can put on with a full head of steam, so prepare for a little disappointment."

Ebbah Wyse of Slytherin House snorted and said, "I'm of the mind sometimes that steam is the only thing in Ron's head."

Mary Deconge of Ravenclaw laughed and said, "Hey Ebby, I think you just insulted steam and complemented Ron!"

Ebbah put on an expression of horror, "For Merlin's sake don't tell my housemates! They'll throw me into Hufflepuff."

Annie Easley of Hufflepuff rolled her eyes toward the ceiling, "Truly a fate worse than death."

Ebbah replied with a sincere look, "Spot on! As a Hufflepuff yourself, you know this only too well."

Annie just smiled and replied, "Yes, no worries Ebby. It's clear you would make a great Hufflepuff yourself."

The friends around the table erupted in laughter, and even Ebbah joined in with gusto. As the laughter faded Ebbah added, "You know, now that I think about it, Slytherin House is sometimes a Machiavellian nightmare with all that cunning, back stabbing and vicious ambition swirling around like a noxious gas. Gets a little tiresome at times. Hufflepuff would be a nice break from all that mess."

"You can't fool us," said George, "We know you love that Slytherin hot-house. Probably you're the one emitting most of that noxious gas." Another round of laughter.

Ebbah smiled, "Guilty as charged. I throw myself at the mercy of this honorable court. Now pass the bangers, please." Mary handed the plate over to Ebbah.

Annie said, "You're assuming this court has some mercy? Or honor? We've got some bad news for you. You're banished to Hogwarts for the holidays!"

Ebbah looked around at the festive surroundings and the platters of delicious food. "Except for you barmy lot, this looks pretty merciful to me. Punishment accepted with pleasure! Now throw away the key."

"Ahh, interesting." said Geraldine, "So a Slytherin can be so easily bought with some nice food?"

Ebbah just shrugged and gave a slight smile, "Never said I was a good Slytherin, just one with a good appetite."

Mary said, "Of course, we all know that only the bad Slytherins are good Slytherins"

"Oy!" said George with an eye roll, "I'm a Ravenclaw, and even I'm not going to try and figure that one out."

Annie draped an arm around Ebbah and pronounced in a grand voice, "Well, I think you're a good Slytherin! In spite of all those things we say about you behind your back." Ebbah suddenly adopted a horrified expression. Annie continued, "And as such, I now hereby declare you to be an honorary Hufflepuff!" She dramatically raised her glass of pumpkin juice.

"By Merlin's great bushy beard, Annie." said Mary, "A Slytherin in Hufflepuff? You've opened the gates of chaos at Hogwarts!"

"Relax." said Annie, "It's only temporary. And Hufflepuff is too good for him anyway. Right after breakfast Ebby can go back to being a slimy Slytherin."

"Hey!" said Ebbah, "I'm not slimy." He paused to rub his forehead and then look at his hand. "Well, not too slimy, at least. No more than usual."

"Don't worry, Ebby. We love you anyway, slime and all." said Geraldine.

Ebbah hunched down, twisted his face into an evil sneer and hissed, "I'm an evil and cunning Slytherin. I am to be feared! Not loved."

More laughter.

After catching her breath, Annie patted Ebbah's shoulder and said, "Sorry. Didn't work. You're way too adorable, in spite of the slime."

Ebbah said, "I'm an 'adorable' Slytherin? Bloody hell. That means I've failed on so many levels. Oh well, I tried." He shrugged and handed his empty glass to Harry, "More juice, please? I have to drink a lot to maintain my slime production."

Annie rubbed her palm on Ebbah's arm and then looked at her hand with a disgusted expression, "It's working. Yuck!"

Ebbah looked at her. "Hey! That's my slime. Give it back."

Annie rubbed her hand through her bushy hair. "No way, it's the only thing strong enough to control this horrendous ball of unholy frizz on my head."

Geraldine said in a sly voice, "Hey Ebby, you seeing the business opportunity I'm seeing?"

Ebbah looked thoughtful and rubbed his chin, "You know, I think you're right. You can be pretty smart for a Gryffindor." Geraldine swatted the back of his head. Ebbah ignored this and continued, "You handle sales and marketing and I'll give you a 30% stake."

"Make it 40."

"35, and I promise to only smack your head when you deserve it."

"Done! And I'll start wearing a helmet." said Ebbah. They raised their juice glasses and carefully clinked them together. "A toast to the inauguration of Ebbah's Super Hair Slime Company!"

Geraldine looked dubious. "Uh, shouldn't that be Ebbah and Geraldine's Super Hair Slime company?"

Ebbah just gave her a deadpan look. "Talk to my lawyer. But be warned, he's also a Slytherin."

Geraldine gave a disgusted look. "Ugh. A Slytherin lawyer. The mind reels in horror."

With a forkful of scrambled eggs, Ebbah just smiled and replied, "As it should, my friend. As it should."

George said, "That's it! The perfect career for Draco. A Slytherin lawyer. For a pompous twit he's pretty smart. He'll make a lot of money and have no interest in being a Dark Lord."

Mary said, "I think you're onto something. But," She paused. "Draco is too much of a sodding, narcissistic prat to be really evil. Though he is pretty clever. He's not far behind Hermione in most of his classes. For his first gig we'll pay him to sue Hogwarts for keeping that bleeding abusive dungeon bat Snape on the faculty."

"Now that would be a show." said Annie, "Seeing Draco battling Dumbledore and Snape in the Wizengamot. Would be serious fun. But Snape is a fellow Slytherin, and I bet Draco kinda likes him, so probably won't happen. We'd have to find a Ravenclaw lawyer."

Ebbah said, "Don't be so sure of that. Remember that for us slimy Slytherins, we often take an unholy pleasure in pursuing a power grab; loyalty and friendship be damned. If Draco sued and won, he could get a lot of prestige and power in the Wizengamot. And for a true Slytherin like Draco, power is everything. Well, power and perfectly groomed hair. Gotta have both."

"How about you, Ebby?" asked Harry, "You don't seem to be the typical power hungry Slytherin type."

"Really?" Ebbah looked thoughtful. "Well, I guess I'll have to get busy at that, then."

Harry gave a quick laugh. "Come on, Ebby. That's no answer."

"To best succeed in the quest for true power, that urge must be hidden under layers of affable charm and friendliness." Ebbah replied with a slight smirk and wink.

George said, "Clever answer, but he's dodging the question. Don't let him get away with it. That slime makes him hard to pin down."

Ebbah smiled. "Oh all right. I'm just an average Slytherin playing the game in my own particular way. Not much else to say. Well, I can say that surviving and staying out of trouble in House Slytherin during these times is putting all my skills to the utmost test. By necessity, I'm having to quickly learn some advanced skills just to stay clear of the various firing lines popping up all around me. In a way that's great. If I can survive House Slytherin in the age of that idiot psychopath Voldemort and this blasted Wizarding War, I'll consider it a smashing success, no matter what grades I get on my OWLS and NEWTS." He paused and drank some juice. "So rather than power hungry, you could say I'm survival hungry. I'll put off being power hungry until all this Dark Lord madness goes away. By Merlin's wand I hope it's sooner rather than later."

"Amen to that." said Geraldine. "If Hogwarts wasn't such a bloody good school, I would have dragged my arse to Beauxbatons three years ago. I could finally really relax, do my studies and find some nice cute French boy to snog with."

"Would you share the boy?" asked Mary.

"Sure, why not? I'm not the greedy type."

"Sweet, I'll join you if you go. Can't let those hunky French boys go to waste."

George just rolled his eyes. "Oy. Blimey. You lassies are as bad as the blokes."

Geraldine gave him a sly smile. "You know, we could transform you into a cute dark eyed French boy. Then you'd sing a different tune."

George laughed. "No. But thanks anyway me bonnie darlin'. I'm pretty happy with my own tune. Besides, I got barely enough time to finish all my studies as it is. Don't have time for a bunch of late night tonsil hockey up in the Astronomy Tower."

"No worries there Georgie boy." said Geraldine, "Mary and I will pounce on Draco when he gets back. How 'bout it, Mary?"

Mary quickly swallowed some chocolate croissant. "Flippin' yes. Sign me up. He's a prat, but he's a damn cute prat. Gorgeous eyes. You hold him down and I'll get him warmed up. We just gotta remember to go light on the lipstick before we corner him."

They all laughed. Ebbah said, "Holy Mother of Merlin. I thought Hogwarts was dangerous before, but now I'm bloody terrified. Between Voldemort and you ladies, I'm just gonna hide in my room."

"No worries, Ebby." said Mary. "We're just having some fun. Right Gerry?"

Geraldine matched Mary's sly grin, "Sure, Maresy. Just joking around." She winked at Mary.

Ebbah glanced at both of them and sighed, "How come I still feel scared?"

~~~ end chapter 1 ~~~


	2. Chapter 2

~o~o~o~

 **Disclaimer:** All recognizable characters and settings belong to J. K. Rowling.

~o~o~o~

**Chapter 2**

~o~o~o~

The conversation continued for a while. There were no classes so they enjoyed a slow, relaxing meal as sun rays poured in when there was a break in the clouds. Mostly they talked of New Year's Eve plans and coordination of study groups to get a head start on upcoming classes. Occasionally a group of students would lower their voices and bring their heads a little closer together as they whispered about the latest news and rumors on the activities of Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

Most students tried to put the Wizarding War out of their minds, focus on their students and hope that powerful wizards like Dumbledore, McGonagall, Moody, Susan Bones and others could protect the school. A small number of mostly Slytherin students supported the pure blood faction and this created a simmering tension that sometimes boiled over into outright fights and other conflicts. Some of the more thoughtful students wondered what they were doing at a school stuck in the middle of a Wizarding war.

On a regular basis a small number quietly transferred elsewhere. A good number of students thrived in the situation, enjoying the feeling of excitement and tension brought on by the war and being part of a great battle of good and evil. They enjoyed the distraction from mundane concerns like classes, studying and getting good grades. A few of the students from the muggle world saw a disturbing parallel in The Troubles happening nearby in Belfast and Northern Ireland.

Being the Boy Who Lived and regularly getting pulled into battles with the Dark Lord and his followers, Harry took every opportunity he could to get his mind and emotions away from gossip and speculations about the war. He was enjoying talking with his friends Phil Nang and Karen Uhlenbeck about the latest news in the world of pro Qudditch. The hot topic du jour was whether the Exeter Flybabies (currently 2nd in the league) could overtake the Sheffield Stunners for their first league title. Harry was a big fan of Sujatha Ramdorai, probably the best Chaser in the league. She played for the Flybabies.

At that moment Kongolo Baryamureeba, a 5th year Hufflepuff and Sylvia Bozeman from Ravenclaw entered the Great Hall. Sylvia was on the tallish side with short wavy light brown hair. Kongolo had very dark skin, was short, chubby, and sported a large puffball afro. He walked with a slight limp due to a congenital deformity in his left foot. In spite of this he moved with an unmistakable grace and ease due to his many years of dedicated martial arts practice.

The noise of conversation quieted and the students looked in their direction as they entered. Earlier in the year Kongolo had been selected as one of the Prefects of House Hufflepuff and, at the same ceremony, was selected as the Head Boy of Hogwarts. Kongolo had a quiet and powerful charisma about him that attracted near universal respect and admiration for his natural humility, calmness, clarity, and radiant presence.

~o~o~o~

His martial arts and strong magic helped. From the very beginning of his first year at Hogwarts, with his appearance and slight limp, he was an irresistible magnet for bullies, especially for some Slytherins who were infected with pure blood ideology. His parents grew up in southwest Congo before coming to the UK where they gave birth to Kongolo. Kongolo's mother, Aissa, was a quite powerful witch herself and knew very well what UK boarding schools were like with their rampant bullying. Kongolo's father was a muggle with a well paying job, so they lived mostly in the muggle world, with Aissa being very careful to hide her magic as needed.

Kongolo's unusually strong magic core manifested earlier than usual and Aissa trained him in the art of wandless magic, especially defensive magic. In addition to that, both his parents encouraged him from a young age to study martial arts and boxing. It turned out that Kongolo loved both and practiced them with dedication. So, right away after he entered Hogwarts, Kongolo had to use his fighting and magical skills many times in self defense. And, as his parents and martial arts instructors taught him, he used them with care, never more than was needed to properly defend himself. Even the older Slytherins slowly learned the hard way to leave him alone; and he earned their grudging respect.

He very quickly gained respect and a reputation around the school; with students and faculty. And his reputation grew when it became known that he didn't hold any grudges against his tormentors. Even if someone had tried to bully him, he would still be polite to them afterwards and help them out if the need arose.

~o~o~o~

Joseph Pierce called out, "Hey Kony, Sylvia, would you like to join us? Got two empty seats here."

Kongolo replied while rubbing his stomach, "Invitation gladly accepted. We've got two empty bellies to go with those empty seats." As Sylvia and Kongolo sat down two House elves popped in with various full platters of breakfast food to replace the empties.

Sylvia said, "Brilliant. Looks smashing! Thank you Rabby and Deena. Perfect timing." The two short elves bowed deeply. Deena said, "We are overjoyed to serve you both!" And with a pop they both disappeared again.

Kongolo and Sylvia both took a moment to close their eyes, place their open hands over their food and say a short meal prayer. Meal prayers were uncommon at Hogwarts, but Kongolo never failed to recite it at his meals. Sylvia was good friends with Kongolo. The meal prayer practice seemed natural to her and she also made it a habit. There was a brief lull in conversation around them as they recited the prayer. Before diving into his breakfast, Kongolo covered his mouth as he gave a big yawn. Sylvia gently punched him in the arm, "Hey Kony, you're gonna get me yawning too and I won't be able to stop."

"You two look pretty tired." Harry commented, "Spent the night shaking your bums at some muggle dance club?" He handed them the chopped fruit platter.

Sylvia smiled taking the platter, "Nah, who in their right minds wants to breathe noxious cigarette smoke with a crowd of silly drunks and music loud enough to make yer ears bleed." She paused to take a bite of a green melon slice. "But, in a strange way, that's actually not too far off the mark. We did stay awake the whole night and the place was filled with music. But definitely not the kind of muggle music you're thinking of. And, come to think of it, there were a few people dancing. However, I'm using 'dancing' in a very broad sense of the word."

Kongolo smiled, "I'd agree with that. Maybe call it 'blissful swaying with eyes closed' as the best description. Although some of the bhajans had a definite danceable rhythm. And, anyway, we're too young to get into most of the muggle dance clubs."

Geraldine said, "No problem there. Next time I could transform you both to look a little older." She paused and scrutinized Kongolo, "Finally give me a chance to make you look really sexy, Kony. Whaddya say?"

Kongolo laughed, "I look cute; that's good enough for me. Looking sexy would just give me a swelled head and I'd start acting like a silly prat."

Sylvia carefully rubbed her hands on his large afro. "Way too late there, Kony. You've already got the swelled head thing going gangbusters." They all laughed and Harry joined in.

Kongolo rolled his eyes up to look at his hair. "Just the way I like it." He gave Sylvia a smile.

It was moments like these that helped Harry relax inside and set aside his worries and fears for his future and the future of his beloved Hogwarts. At least for a little while. His hope and confidence lifted and he enjoyed the continued conversation. He felt the subtle but strong glow of his connections to his friends and could again see how this was more powerful than the darkness around a single crazed individual like Voldemort. He wondered why such people felt such a compulsion darken the world around them. He gently rubbed the scar on his forehead and realized that if he wasn't constantly vigilant, the pain from the scar could push even him into a dark direction. He realized even more deeply the importance of his friends and their unspoken bonds of mutual support and affection.

"OK, now you got me curious." Harry said, "Where did you spend the night?"

With slight smiles on their faces, Kongolo and Sylvia looked at each other briefly. Sylvia said, "We could explain it, but it would sound very strange. Strange in a good way, but strange nonetheless."

Harry gave a little laugh and said, "We live at Hogwarts, remember? We constantly see all kinds of strange stuff. So no worries there."

Kongolo replied, "Yeah, but that's wizarding world strange stuff, and we're pretty used to all that by now. But this is muggle strange stuff, kinda different. But I'm happy to share about it if you want."

"Go for it." Harry replied. "It's a little boring around here during Christmas break; a tale of muggle strangeness would be great."

Thyrsa Svager, a 6th year Hufflepuff sitting nearby said, "Count me in. I'd love to hear also. I don't get into the muggle world very much so would love to hear what you experienced. The stranger the better. And if you don't tell us, we'll spread rumors that you both spent the night snogging at some hippy muggle music club."

Kongolo smiled, "No problem there. A few juicy rumors would spice this place up a bit."

Sylvia laughed. "I'm not sure Gloria would like that. She would either cry or stun me with the mother of all hexes." Sylvia and Gloria had been partners for about a year.

Thyrsa replied with a smirk, "Maybe both. I love her to death but she's got a wee bit of a temper."

"A wee bit, yep." said Sylvia. "If only she wasn't so bloody cute when she gets angry."

Kongolo smiled, "Angry I can handle. But a hex on my arse is a different story."

"No worries there, Kony." said Thyrsa, "Just date a muggle."

"I might just do that." said Kongolo. "Quite a few really cute muggle girls at the program last night. Not just cute, but cute _and_ lovers of Amma. Can't beat that."

"'Lovers of Amma'?" asked Harry."

Sylvia gently nudged Kongolo in the ribs. "You go first. You've got more experience with the Amma-verse than I do."

Kongolo looked at Harry and then Thyrsa and said, "Both of you know about Jesus, right. They covered him in the Muggle Studies course in 3rd year or whenever it was."

Thyrsa said, "Yeah, I remember. Lived about 2,000 years ago. The founder of Christianity. He was supposed to be a holy person. Like the son of God or something like that. He had magical powers so he was probably a wizard. Born in Israel, I think?"

Harry said, "And thanks to Jesus we get a nice Christmas holiday, lovely decorations, presents and a Christmas feast. All that good stuff."

"Well," said Kongolo, "Many people, including me, also consider Amma to be a very holy person." Sylvia interjected, "Me, too."

Kongolo continued, "Amma was born in India and I think both of you know a little bit about India. It was briefly covered in Muggle Studies. For a while it was a colony of muggle Britain."

Thyrsa said, "Yeah, the teacher talked about this in Muggle Studies. Apparently lots of really powerful wizards and witches come from India. Famous ones like Krishna, Buddha, Shankaracharya, Mirabai, Karunamayi, Sai Baba and lots more. Must be something in the water there."

Kongolo and Slylvia laughed at that. After catching his breath, Kongolo continued, "So. Amma was born in a small fishing village in far southwest India in 1953. She's another in a long line of holy saints from India. The wizarding world would consider her an especially powerful witch. But in the muggle world, especially in India, she's seen as a very holy person, kind of like a living god who has taken birth in a human body. Similar to how Christians look at Jesus. So when Amma was young she started to manifest miracles and she became well known in the small fishing village where she was born. Some people thought she was a fake, but a lot of people felt she was a genuine holy person. Not only did she do miracles, but she expressed love and compassion in everything she did. Now that, in my humble opinion, is even more miraculous than all the other miracles combined. Lots of people have magical or miraculous powers. But how many people express unconditional love in every moment of their lives? I'm not an historical expert but it seems to me the answer is very, very few. So that's what made Amma so magnetic was her endless flow of divine love. To make a long story short, more and more people gathered around her and many more people became her devotees. Now she has millions of followers and travels all over the world for about 6 months of each year. She comes to London every year and about 6 or 7 thousand people attend her program there. The main thing she does is hug thousands and thousands of people for hours on end."

Harry said, "She hugs thousands of people? Wow. But why do so many people go see her for a hug? They can get hugs from friends and family. Why make a special effort to get a hug from some Indian lady?"

Kongolo smiled and replied, "Good question, it gets right to the heart of the matter. Amma teaches that the true essence of everyone is divine love. You, me, all of us here, everyone. Including psychopaths like Voldemort and the Death Eaters. They all have a central core of divine love that is eternal."

Thyrsa snorted and said, "Even Voldemort? Right. I don't think there's anything like divine love in that monster."

"From the outside it certainly seems that way. But actually," Kongolo continued, "Amma's teachings are really clear on this. She says everyone, without exception, has that divine love as their true essence, no matter how terrible they seem on the outside. Amma says that divine love gets obscured when we take birth in a human form. Have you heard of 'karma' and reincarnation?"

Harry said, "Umm, a little bit, but I'm kind of hazy on it."

Thrysa said, "New to me. What are they?"

"Well, the short version is that, according to the Indian and Buddhist holy books, reincarnation means that we take birth in human form again and again to learn certain lessons. The main lesson is how to express divine love and compassion in everything we do. We can't fully learn that lesson in one lifetime, not by a long shot. Takes many, many lifetimes. So in every lifetime we learn a little bit more, then we die and come back into a new body to learn more."

"Holy shite." said Thrysa, "That means even if we kill the bastard, Voldemort will come back again? Ay ya yay. We're doomed."

"No worries," said Harry, "Dumbledore and I will also come back and kick his butt all over again."

Sylvia said, "No need for that. Voldemort has been such a prick in this life that with his karma he'll come back as a crippled muggle beggar living in a gutter in some slum."

Thyrsa said, "That would be too good for him, but at least it'll keep him out of trouble."

Kongolo said, "So, to continue. In some lifetimes we mess up and do bad things. Voldemort as a prime example. And in some future lifetime we have to experience the lessons of suffering in order to balance the scales of the bad things we did. And another way to balance the negative side is to do good things, to help people and to grow spiritually. Bad actions mean negative karma. And good actions mean good karma that helps balance out and dissolve the bad karma. And after lots of human lifetimes we get better and better karma until we finally master the art of expressing divine love in everything we do. Then we graduate to higher realms where we learn higher lessons. Kind of like going from high school to university. So that's a very short explanation. I'm not an expert by any means. I've listened to Amma's talks and read her books so that's a quick summary of my understanding."

Sylvia said, "So to get back to your original question, in most people that divine love essence is covered over by old karma and selfish ego. But in Amma it's fully shining without any blockage. That's why thousands of people come to see her. They feel her divine love and it reminds them of their own divine love deep inside. More or less depending on the person. And when people feel their own divine love they realize to some degree that it's the most important thing in life. So when Kony and I met Amma, we had some big experiences that made us feel very connected to her. Not connected to her personally per se, but connected to the divine love that pours out of her. Now, a lot of people get a hug from Amma and it's nothing special which is fine. Just means their path is in some other direction. But a few people meet her and a strong connection happens. Sometime quickly and sometimes slowly. Again, it all depends on the person and their life's destiny."

Kongolo said, "So that's where we were last night; at Amma's program, which often goes all night long. She's in London now for a few more days leading programs and giving hugs to everyone who shows up. I met Amma in 94 and Sylvia met her in 95. We go every year. And it's free of charge, which is nice. The Whittlesey Wizarding Refuge is not far from the program, so that makes it easy. We get permission to floo there, transform into muggle clothes and walk to the program. And it's nice to see a bit of London while we're there."

Harry looked thoughtful, "So I could also see her while she's here?"

Kongolo said, "Sure, Sylvia and I are going there again this afternoon. We just gotta rest and then we'll floo to Whittlesey around 4 pm or so. McGonagall has given us permission to use the floo in Gryffindor Tower. You're welcome to join us."

Harry said, "I think I will. I've done a lot of prep for upcoming classes so I can take a little time away. Where should I meet you?"

Sylvia said, "Actually, we'll meet you. We'll come to Gryffindor Tower after we rest and we'll go from there."

Thyrsa said, "Don't forget me. I'll crash the party and join in. A little bit of divine love will take my mind away from the Hogwarts drama. And I've never seen the Whittlesey Refuge. Would be nice to check it out in case I want to visit London sometimes."

Kongolo said, "Done! We'll see you then. Now I'm off to sleep."

~~~ end of chapter 2 ~~~


	3. Chapter 3

~o~o~o~

 **Disclaimer:** All recognizable characters and settings belong to J. K. Rowling.

~o~o~o~

**Chapter 3**

~o~o~o~

At around 3:30 pm Kongolo filled his travel bag, threw it over his shoulder and met up with Thyrsa outside the girl's Hufflepuff dorms. They headed to Gryffindor Tower. Upon arrival they knocked on the doors and Oswald Veblen, a 3rd year Gryffindor greeted them and they met up with Harry in the Gryffindor common area. "Hey Kony, Thyrsa. Welcome. So Kony, what should I pack for our little trip?".

Kongolo replied, "Definitely warm clothes. Some galleons to transform into muggle money to buy food and drinks. There's lots of gift tables at the program so bring a little extra in case you see some things you like. A little pillow and blanket in case you get sleepy. And comfortable shoes in case we have to stand in line for a while."

Harry quickly filled his travel bag and the three of them chatted for a bit waiting for Sylvia. Soon there was a knock on the door and she entered.

"Sorry I'm late, guys. I stopped to get a cup of strong tea. The nap helped but I'm still a little knackered from staying up last night. How you doing, Kony?"

"Good, good. Hufflepuff dorm is quiet and I slept good. Not enough, but they have lots of strong chai and coffee at the program so I'll make it thru. Feydratha pestered me a few times but I finally shooed him away." Feydratha, a young tortoise shell cat, was the beloved mascot and guardian of House Hufflepuff.

Kongolo looked at his companions. "Everyone have everything they need?" Everyone was ready and they went to the big fireplace on one side of the room. Kongolo was the first to grab some floo powder. He threw it into the fire and said "Whittlesey Refuge!". He stepped into the bright emerald flames and disappeared. The rest followed suit.

~o~o~o~

They emerged into a large grand living room decorated in traditional old British style. After they all came in an elderly dignified witch entered. Her elegant dress was edged with hints of silver and green indicating her connection with Slytherin House. "Ahh, Kongolo and Sylvia. Welcome back my dears. Wonderful to see you again. And you've brought some friends." She turned to Harry and Thyrsa, "Welcome dears. I'm Marjorie Brown, one of the caretakers for Whittlesey Wizarding Refuge. Pleased to meet you." She held their hands in turn. Thyrsa said, "I'm Thyrsa Svagar of House Hufflepuff." Marjorie replied, "Welcome, Thyrsa."

She turned to Harry and held his hand. Harry said, "I'm Harry Potter. Pleased to meet you." Marjorie's face lit up in a warm smile. "Ah, Harry Potter of the noble Gryffindor House, so wonderful to finally meet you. You are indeed most welcome. Stories of your adventures and bravery in fighting that horrible Voldemort have traveled all the way down here and beyond. I don't mean to embarrass you, but your courage to help protect what is good and proper in the Wizarding world is an inspiration to me and many others. You are welcome here anytime." Harry blushed a little but it was not unusual for him to experience this response from others. "Thank you, Miss Brown. You're very gracious and we all appreciate you letting us travel here."

Marjorie turned to Kongolo, "Do you and your friends have time for some tea and snacks before going to the event?" Kongolo looked at his group and said, "They're handing out the darshan tokens in about half an hour, so may be best if we leave soon. But if anyone does want refreshments, we can easily adjust our schedule. What do you say?" They looked at each other and the unspoken decision was to continue to the program.

Kongolo turned to Marjorie, "We'll go to the program and get something there. They'll have all kinds of drinks and snacks. And I'm looking forward to getting some more Indian food; a nice break from the usual Hogwarts fare. We think the program will be complete around 7 am or so, but as you know, it's hard to tell. Could be earlier or later depending on the crowds and how fast or slow Amma is giving hugs."

Marjorie smiled warmly and said, "No problem, dears. I've set the magical wards to recognize you and allow your entrance so you can come in anytime. If you come early and no one is up, just ask the house elves for whatever you want."

"As always Miss Brown," replied Sylvia, "your hospitality is a delight to experience."

Thyrsa turned to Kongolo and said, "Hey Kony, you used the word 'darshan'. What does that mean?" Kongolo said, "Oh yeah, I should explain that. Sanskrit is the ancient and traditional language of India. Darshan is a Sanskrit word that means something like 'to get a vision of divinity' or 'to get a vision or sight of the guru'. So in the Amma world, darshan almost always refers to getting a hug from Amma. In India saints or gurus traditionally don't hug their devotees or other people. But Amma has totally turned that tradition on it's head. She hugs everyone. She would even hug Professor Snape!"

Thyrsa said, "Wow, in my book that's some Nobel Peace Prize level of hugging."

Marjorie put her hands together and said, "Very well. Now it's time to make you all look like proper muggles." Marjorie regularly worked in the muggle world as an energy healer. She was trained as a magical healer after graduating from Hogwarts and she discreetly used those skills to help her many muggle clients. She didn't use her healing powers in a way that would attract too much attention. Mostly she used them to relieve the rampant mental stress, anxiety and tension that most muggles suffered from.

She sometimes wondered how muggles didn't go crazy living with so much chronic stress. Even the small amount of relief she provided was greatly appreciated, and she had a steady stream of new clients as word of mouth spread stories of her effectiveness as a healer. On rare occasions she would heal some physical ailment, but she never did dramatic healings that would draw too much scrutiny.

She was also sometimes called to help out at some of the Wizarding hospitals in and around London. She enjoyed that work as it gave her a chance to practice her full magical healing skills and keep them up to date.

Because of her work in the muggle world she also had to understand muggle fashion trends and dress styles so she could blend in easily. Marjorie looked at Kongolo and Sylvia and said, "Something similar to yesterday be OK?" They both agreed that would be fine and Marjorie waved her wand and softly spoke the appropriate transformation spells. Kongolo and Slyvia's clothing transformed in typical layered muggle clothes appropriate for London teenagers out on a cold winter evening. Marjorie asked, "Look OK?" Kongolo and Sylvia looked at their clothes and said it was all perfect.

Marjorie looked at Harry and Thyrsa, "Something similar for both of you? I'll add some variations and change the colors a bit." They both agreed and Marjorie again made the transformation. "Perfect." she said, "All of you will blend in splendidly. And with the layers of clothes you can adjust as needed when you get to the program hall. In your coat pockets are some warm gloves and some lightweight gloves and hats in case it's cool in the program hall."

Marjorie turned to Harry, "Would you like me to put a hiding spell on your forehead scar so it's not visible to muggles?" Harry briefly touched his scar and said, "Yeah, I hadn't thought of that. Yes, good to do." Marjorie waved her wand in front of Harry's scan and said a quick spell. The scar faded from sight. Marjorie said, "I adjusted the spell so it will deactivate when you return here. Sound good?". Harry replied, "Yes, thanks! Save me from getting some strange looks and awkward questions."

The four students all looked at each other in their muggle clothes and warmly thanked Marjorie for her help. Marjorie said," Now, Kongolo, I wonder if you could do a little favor for me?"

"Sure Miss Brown. Whatever you need."

Marjorie smiled and pulled a little bead bracelet out of her pocket. "Could you give this to Amma when you get your hug? I like making little gifts for some of my clients. The last time we met you told me all about Amma. And you talked about mantras and malas, how they work and how people use them."

Sylvia held up her wrist which was graced with a wooden bead bracelet. "I got my Amma mantra last year and it's wonderful. Helps me to relax and see the big picture."

Marjorie smiled and said, "Which is just what many of my clients need. I put a small small charm on it so the person using it feels a subtle sense of peace and relaxation. Not too strong; just enough to feel a little relaxation."

She looked at Kongolo and continued, "I have a feeling Amma will know just who needs it most and will give it to them." She gave him the bracelet and he looked at it for a moment. The beads were a beautiful jade green laced with traces of earthy red in various shades. He put it in his pocket and said, "It's a beautiful gift and I think Amma will give a big smile when she gets it."

"From what you've told me, Amma spends all her time giving so I want to give her a little something in return, and something she can give to someone else. I wish all of you a wonderful time at the program. If I'm around when you return I'd like to hear all about it. Especially you, Thyrsa and Harry, since it will be your first time."

Sylvia said, "Thanks for everything, Miss Brown and hopefully see you tomorrow morning."

~~~ end of chapter 3 ~~~


	4. Chapter 4

~o~o~o~

 **Disclaimer:** All recognizable characters and settings belong to J. K. Rowling.

~o~o~o~

**Chapter 4**

~o~o~o~

The four walked out together into wintry cold late afternoon London. They made their way west and slightly north to Southbank Center. They enjoyed the sights as they blended in with the holiday foot traffic.

Approaching Southbank they saw a very large banner with a big picture of a dark skinned Indian woman dressed in a pure white saree. The large text on the banner advertised "Amma, The Hugging Saint" along with details about the five day long program of events.

Thyrsa said, "That must be her, right? She certainly has a nice smile. Looks like nothing could rattle her."

Sylvia laughed and said, "I don't think she ever gets really rattled like a normal person. But she can do a very good job of being, or pretending to be upset or angry if she wants to. One time I saw her get angry with one of her senior disciples for something or other. Don't know what. Then, a moment later, she gave a really mischievous smile to everyone around and wiggled her eyebrows like her anger was just a big show. Pretty remarkable to see. In the main hall above Amma there's a big video screen with a close up of her as she's giving hugs. It's amazing to watch. Most of the time she's smiling and laughing but she'll suddenly get serious when the situation calls for it. And there's so much activity constantly going on around her. Giving hugs, people asking her questions, talking to her disciples. It's non stop for many hours. You'll see."

Harry was quiet and gazing up at Amma's picture as Sylvia was speaking. He felt a strange movement of energy in his belly that he couldn't remember feeling before. And he felt a curious sensation at the lightning bolt scar on his forehead. He focused his attention there and shortly realized what it was. It was actually an absence of sensation.

As far back as he could remember there was always pain at the scar, mostly mild but sometimes strong, and long ago he learned to ignore it, at least when it was mild. He pushed up his wool hat and stood there, gently rubbing the scar, lost in this lack of pain there. Along with the lack of pain, his whole body felt curiously relaxed which was unusual for him. So often he was worried about school or the never ending drama with his friends or with thinking about Voldemort and the next move he'll make to derail the train of his life that could never seem to get comfortably on track.

Along with all these feelings he sensed the arising of a subtle remembrance of inner peace, like the situation of his life hadn't changed at all but he was looking down on it all from a comfortable height. Like standing on a mountain side and seeing the forest, lakes and rivers spread out below him; all filled with busy life, but fitting together seamlessly as integrated parts of a wholeness. He sensed the wholeness and for a brief moment felt how it took endless delight in the play of all the living pieces.

The three others were walking toward the entrance when Thyrsa noticed Harry's absence. She turned and called, "Hey Harry, come join us. Why stare at her picture when you can come inside and see the real thing?"

Her words pulled him out of his thoughts. He smiled and called out, "Righto! I'm coming." and jogged over to catch up with them.

Thyrsa looked into his green eyes and asked, "I noticed you rubbing your scar. Everything OK?" Like most everyone at Hogwarts she knew how Harry got the scar and all the pressure he was under to somehow, some way finally defeat Voldemort while still being a sixteen year old boy with school pressures and all the rest.

"Yeah, doing pretty good, actually." Harry replied, "I almost always have a little pain at the scar, but it just went away. Strange."

Sylvia, who was listening in, said, "See? Just one look at Amma and you're feeling better. Pretty cool, huh? Just wait til you meet her."

Kongolo said, "When I first met her I had an amazing experience, but that's the minority. Most people just experience getting a nice hug and not much beyond that. There's no way to predict what experience you'll have. Well, I take that back, in addition to a really nice hug, you're pretty much guaranteed to get a nice smile and a Hershey's Kiss."

Harry said, "What? No chocolate frogs?"

"Not here, the muggles would freak out." said Kongolo with a small laugh, "But if Amma comes to Hogwarts, she'll definitely give them out there. Or she'll have a very short line of people waiting to get hugs."

Sylvia said, "With Amma's hugs it's like that song; you may not get what you want, but you'll get what you need. Something like that. And I also had an amazing experience the first time."

Thyrsa said to Sylvia, "Hey, we've been friends for years. How come you never told me about this amazing experience?"

Sylvia put her arm around Thyrsa, "Thyrsa, you know I love you, but the experience was just so unusual and very personal. I guess I was afraid to share it cuz it felt very vulnerable. Next time we get a quiet moment I'll share it. But be prepared, it'll sound a little crazy."

As they continued walking Thyrsa put her arm around Sylvia's waist and said, "Good, let's do that. And I promise to listen and not be judgmental."

Sylvia laughed, "Judgments are fine as long as they're really positive judgments."

"Deal." replied Thyrsa, using her free hand to adjust her scarf against the cold breeze.

They mixed in with the large crowd of people entering the convention hall. Stepping through the large glass doors they saw signs giving directions for Amma's program. They walked down the large hallway indicated by the sign and followed further signs to get to the Amma program area of the convention center.

A big standing sign said "Darshan Tokens This Way." Kongolo pointed and said, "That's for us." and led them to another room where tokens for the hugs were being given out.

At the token table the staff person smiled and asked them, "This your first time?" Sylvia pointed to herself and Kongolo and said, "We've been before, but first time for our two friends." She turned to Thyrsa and Harry and said, "First timers can get early tokens. Or, if you prefer, we can all go later as a group." Thyrsa glanced at Harry before replying, "I'd like to go all together. How 'bout you, Harry?"

"Definitely all together." he replied. "I'd like that." He looked around at the large crowd of people getting tokens and milling about. "I'd feel lost in the crowd if I went on my own. Although I'm pretty sure an Amma crowd will be a nice crowd."

Thyrsa gently poked Kongolo in the ribs and asked, "So no such thing as Amma hooligans?"

Kongolo and Sylvia laughed. Kongolo replied, "Sorry, no Amma hooligans. And if there were Amma hooligans they'd just go around hugging people and asking," 'May I help you?' Worst you'll see is people walking around spaced out with big goofy grins."

Thyrsa grinned, "So is that how you looked after your first hug?" Kongolo put on a surprised expression and said, "How did you know?!"

They laughed and he continued, "Actually I probably did have a goofy smile on my face for a while. Definitely a small price to pay for such a wonderful experience. Anyway, Amma is helping to create a world where more and more people walk around with goofy smiles."

Harry said, "Now that sounds like the kind of world I want to live in. Let's make goofy smiles a new fad."

Thyrsa said, "Don't forget lots of hugs."

Harry smiled, "Definitely paradise."

Sylvia asked the group, "Shall we enjoy a little early dinner in our paradise before the program starts?"

As they sought out the dining hall, Kongolo counted off on his fingers, "So in our paradise we have good friends, Amma, goofy smiles and lots of hugs. Anything missing?" They looked at each other and then said as one voice,

"Butterbeer!"

The muggles nearby gave them quizzical looks.

~o~o~o~

In the dining hall buffet line Thyrsa said, "OK guys, I'm new to Indian food. What do you recommend? I've heard it's real spicy."

Kongolo said, "No worries there. It's mostly westerners who come to Amma programs so they tone down the spices. For the Indians they keep a few bottles of chili sauce hidden behind the counter." Kongolo gave a little smile as he spoke. "Actually, lots of westerners also like spicy food so you can get some chutney if you want and they have bottles of chili sauce at the tables."

Kongolo looked at Thyrsa and said, "If you're really hungry you can get some samosas and pakoras; they're pretty filling." Kongolo was pointing as he spoke. "If you want something lighter, the curries, veggies and dal with some rice is great. I like to take a little bit of everything."

Sylvia gently patted Kongolo's chubby belly and said. "We know. We can tell."

Kongolo sounded indignant, "Hey! Keeping up my goofy smile takes a lot of energy. A little slack please."

Sylvia replied, "I got slack in abundance; sending some your way."

Thyrsa said, "I'll go with lighter food. I wanna save room to try some of the deserts." They all got their trays of food, paid with muggle money, found a table for four and settled in.

Kongolo said, "Sylvia and I know an Indian food prayer we'd like to share. That OK?" Harry nodded yes. Thyrsa said, "A food prayer? Isn't that like some kind of muggle spell? Will it make everything taste like treacle tarts?"

Kongolo laughed, "It just might. This is a pretty powerful prayer."

"Ugh." Sylvia said, "That would be terrible. I'd gag on all that sugar."

Thyrsa replied, "Speak for yourself; I'd love it. A big meal of treacle tarts with lots of pumpkin juice. Yum!"

Sylvia just shuddered and said, "Be careful what you wish for."

Thyrsa smiled, "No worries there, dearie. I'm very strategic with my wishes. Got them all planned out."

Harry laughed, "Sounds like what a Ravenclaw would say."

Thyrsa put on a slightly haughty expression, "Let's just say I'm a well rounded Hufflepuff."

Kongolo gave a little laugh, "If you started just eating treacle tarts you would definitely become well rounded." They all laughed.

Sylvia again gently patted Kongolo's belly and said, "You're already pretty well rounded yourself." Kongolo smiled and carefully rubbed his hand over his large afro and said, "In more ways than one! Wait til you see Amma, she is also definitely well rounded. Nice and plump and soft; so makes getting a hug from her really wonderful."

Sylvia gently poked Kongolo and said, "I'm hungry, let's say the food prayer." Kongolo replied, "Oh! Right." They brought their hands together and recited:

_Brahmā rpañam Brahma Havir_

_Brahmāgnau Brahmañā hutaṃ,_

_Brahmaiva Tena Gantavyam_

_Brahma karmā Samādhinah._

_Om Shanti Shanti Shanti_

_Om Sri Gurubyo Namaha_

_Hari Om_

They dug into their food and Harry asked, "What does it mean?"

Kongolo replied, "Kinda tricky to summarize. It's a passage from one of the Indian holy books called The Bhagavad Gita. It basically reminds us that the food, the eater of the food and the fire of digestion are all divine. Another reminder that everything is divine, which is what Amma is always saying."

Harry said, "'Everything is divine.' I like that. A nice way to look at things. Although, looking at the wizarding world, sometimes kinda hard to see everything as divine. Well, maybe divinely crazy."

Kongolo said, "Full agreement there. Lots of craziness going for sure. But Amma says when we see the divine in ourselves, we'll start to see it everywhere."

Harry said, "Oy. Seeing the divine in myself is kinda tough. You guys gotta help me out. When you see me tell me, 'Remember Harry, you're divine!' That will help."

Thyrsa said, "Tell you what, you help me with my potions homework and I'll definitely remind you that you're divine."

Harry said, "Hey, what about my intrinsic divinity? Independent of what I do?"

Thyrsa said, "That's all taken care of. If I'm hanging out with you, that definitely means you're intrinsically divine."

Harry looked thoughtful, "Mmm. Seems a little conditional, but I'll take what I can get! So, does it work both ways?"

Thyrsa looked haughty, "No way. The sun does not need a candle."

Laughter.

Harry smiled, "Uh oh! My intrinsic divinity is back on shaky ground!"

Thyrsa said, "No worries, I got plenty of divinity for both of us." She leaned to the side, put her arm around Harry's shoulder and gave him a hug. "There. Your divinity tank is now filled to the brim."

Harry gave a small eye roll and said, "Thanks. What would I do without you?"

Thyrsa put on a deadpan expression, "I get asked that question all the time."

They all laughed at that.

"Well, I'm seeing this dal as divine." said Sylvia holding up a spoonful of the yellow lentil soup. "That's a good start for me."

They continued to chat and enjoy their meal.

Thyrsa asked Kongolo, "So you first met Amma in 94?"

Kongolo replied, "Yeah, my dad met her the year before in 93, and in 94 he took my mom and I to meet her. My mom didn't have any special experience, but when I got my hug it was amazing. When Amma pulled me to her this vision suddenly appeared in my mind. I was in a beautiful forest and standing in front of me were a whole crowd of my ancestors. They were dressed in gorgeous traditional African clothes. They all gave me a beautiful smile and without any words they indicated how precious and important the forest is. And it was my duty to carry on the tradition of taking care of it for all future generations. Then they all became a forest. They all transformed into trees, bushes, flowers, animals, streams, rainfall and everything else. Even more important than what I saw was the feelings. I felt this deep connection with nature. Like it was totally silly to imagine that I could somehow ever be separate from nature. That feeling never really left me. The vision only lasted a few seconds but it felt like much longer. Then I came back and Amma was looking at me with an amazing smile and rubbing my cheek. Then Amma asked, "Mantra?". I had only a vague idea about mantras but I said, "Yes. I'd like that." Later on that night I came back and Amma whispered the mantra in my ear and I've been reciting it ever since."

Harry said, "Wow. That's brilliant. What do you think the vision means for you?"

"When I ask myself that I get the feeling that one day I'll be involved with helping people reconnect with nature. But I don't have any idea what that will look like. My inner voice also says that Amma will guide me so I don't need to worry how it will happen. Amma will nudge me in the right direction. I know it sounds a little silly, but it's like Amma is always living in my heart, and if I learn to stay relaxed and compassionate, she'll always help me. I don't feel big emotions toward Amma, but I feel she will always be with me. It's hard to describe how I know it, but I know it more than anything else. Of course I sometimes get stressed with classes and other responsibilities, but this little inner voice always reminds me not to worry."

Thyrsa looked down, tapped on her sternum and said, "Hey, you little inner voice in there. Wake up and get busy! Start giving me positive messages and help me relax! I know you're in there. Don't make me come after you!"

The other three laughed uproariously.

Thyrsa said, "Hey guys! Shush. I think my inner voice is trying to tell me something." They tried to get quiet while Thyrsa pretended to listen carefully. She said, "Uh huh. Uh huh. Yes. Wow. Cool. Thanks!"

Sylvia said, "I know I'm going to regret this, but what did your inner voice say?"

Thyrsa gave a perky smile. "It said, 'The rumors are true. Robert Coleman is a great kisser.'"

More laughter. It was an open secret that Thyrsa had been nursing a mild, unrequited crush on Robert, a 7th year Ravenclaw, for a while.

Harry smirked, "Sounds like your inner voice is moonlighting for The Quibbler."

Thyrsa sighed, "I know, my inner voice is not very mature. I've been asking for an upgrade, but no luck yet. Any suggestions?"

Sylvia chuckled, "Definitely a question for Amma. Ask her when you get your darshan. I think she's an expert on inner voices. Actually, I think she _is_ the inner voice for thousands of her followers. She's giving thousands of hugs and has to be an inner voice for thousands more. One busy lady."

Thyrsa said, "Perfect. I'll ask her." She paused. "Hold on. Maybe I should ask her how to snag Robert? I gotta remember my priorities."

Harry said, "Nah. Only way you're gonna snag Robert is with a little clandestine love potion. But I think even _your_ inner voice would balk at that."

"Don't be so sure." Thyrsa said, "Have you listened to my inner voice? It's a bleeding nutcase! Honestly. Makes me wonder how I've survived this far. I've tried to sack the bloody thing but it doesn't go away. Like a flippin' barnacle on a boat."

Sylvia said, "Well, Amma loves a challenge so I think she'll really love you."

Thyrsa flipped her hair back, "Of course she'll love me. What's not to love?"

Harry said, "Exactly right! You're amazing and marvelous."

Thyrsa rested her chin on her hand, slightly rolled her eyes and looked bored. "Yeah. Old news."

More laughter.

As they continued their meal, Thyrsa gently rubbed Sylvia's back and asked, "Hey Sylvie, would you like to share about your first darshan with Amma?"

Sylvia pursed her lips slightly and looked off into the distance for a moment. "Yeah. I think it would be OK. Just keep it between us, OK?"

The other three indicated their agreement.

Sylvia gave them all a warm look. "You guys are a good lot. I know I can trust you. And I've been wanting to share it for a while. Just had to wait for the right time." She paused. "So Kony here dragged me to Amma last year."

Kongolo piped up, "Hey! You asked. I didn't drag you, well, not too much, at least."

Sylvia patted his arm, "I know, just having some fun. But you were quite persuasive in your own gentle way. After you told me about her I was very interested. So it was about this time last year. It was you, your parents and Marcus duSautoy."

Harry said, "Marcus saw Amma? I didn't know that. He's never mentioned it."

Kongolo said, "Yeah. I mentioned it and he was interested. But he didn't really feel anything when he got his Amma hug. But one thing he really liked was the mango lassis. He never had them before and he thought they were the best thing ever. He even taught the house elves how to make them. He has them make it whenever good mangos are available, which is not that often in rural central Scotland."

Sylvia said, "Yeah, Marcus got a kick hanging out with spiritual muggles for the first time. Thought they were a lot more interesting than the usual muggle types."

She paused to drink some of her chai. "So we all went together for darshan. Kony and his parents got a family darshan, which was really sweet and fun to watch. Then Marcus got his and then I went. For some reason I felt a little nervous while in line, but I just ignored the feeling. So I'm kneeling in front of Amma, she gives me a nice smile, reaches out to pull me in and to my surprise I just start crying. It came out of nowhere. And I'm so embarrassed but I can't stop. It's like some big ball of old emotions in me suddenly decide they all want to come out at once. And while I'm crying I'm thinking of my mom and all the problems she's had in her life. She has some mental illness. The healers at St. Mungo's have tried their best to help her, but she only got a little better, not much. She has depression and sadness that she can't shake out of. So, needless to say, that makes for a difficult family life. I love her more than anything, but she can be hard to be with sometimes. And sometimes I acted out in ways that were definitely not helpful. My dad is amazing with her, but after all these years it's been wearing him down. So I'm crying and crying and Amma is holding onto me in a big hug and gently rocking me back and forth. I felt so safe! It was amazing! I've never met this woman before and here I'm bawling my eyes out and she's holding me and rubbing my back like I'm her only child. I felt so much love. I may start crying again now. So finally my tears slow down a little. Amma pushes me out a little and starts gently rubbing my chest while holding onto me with her other arm and looking into my eyes with a beautiful expression."

Sylvia paused to blow her nose into a tissue. "I felt like she could see all of me and only felt love for everything she saw. She rubbed my cheek and pulled me in for another hug and then kissed both my cheeks. Finally I stood up and one of Amma's helpers told me that Amma would like me to sit on stage for a while. There were some seats in the back and I sat down. I felt so good! Like some big weight had been lifted off of me. So I sat there for about a half hour just feeling peaceful and not really thinking. My mind was real quiet. Because I was the last one in our little group they had left the stage and didn't see my darshan up close. I told them I had a nice darshan but didn't give any details. I knew it would take me a long time to process and understand what had happened before I'd be ready to share it. After I got home I noticed I was a lot less tense around my mom. I felt more compassion and I tried to listen to her more. That seemed to help and the family is a bit more settled than in the past. It's still not easy but I don't get overwhelmed nearly as much as I used to. And I feel more appreciation for all the ways my dad is trying to help and keep the family together. So ever since then I've felt this really nice connection to Amma. But it's different from Kony. I feel a lot of love for Amma. But it's not like I have to be around her to feel it. When I chant my mantra or just quiet my mind and think about her this quiet love rises in me. Sometimes strong and other times very subtle. But I can always tune into that love when I need to."

Thyrsa leaned toward Sylvia, put both her arms around her, rested her head on her shoulder and said, "That was amazing. You are absolutely brilliant."

Sylvia sat quietly for a few moments with a few tears moving down her cheeks, soaking up the love and affection from her friend.

Harry and Kongolo continued to eat in silence.

After a while, Thyrsa sat up and asked, "So after your darshan, did Amma have to change her saree?"

Sylvia burst out into laughter and Harry and Kongolo joined in.

Sylvia gently punched Thyrsa's arm and said, "You little snotty prat. Last time I share anything with you." Thyrsa smiled as Sylvia leaned over and kissed her forehead. Then Sylvia said, "She probably did; can't remember the last time I cried that much. Like I was a little baby again. She was using her saree to wipe all my tears. It was so sweet."

They continued chatting for a few moments and finished their meal. Harry collected everything onto one tray, stood up and said, "Back in a moment."

He returned shortly with another tray with 4 large paper cups. He set it down on the table and handed out the cups.

Harry asked Thyrsa, "Can you guess what it is?" Thyrsa looked at the thick, slightly yellow drink and looked thoughtful. She said, "Looks like a butterbeer shake, but I know that can't be right." Then she said, "Oh, Marcus! I bet it's a mango lassi."

"Spot on." Harry replied. "Don't suppose anyone has a camera?" No one did. "Too bad, would be brilliant to take a pic and show it to Marcus."

Kongolo said, "Marcus is pretty good at transfigurations. I'll suggest he work on transfiguring juice into mango lassi."

After her first sip Thyrsa said, "Holy Merlin's hat, that's good. Perfect mix of sweet and sour. Even if my Amma darshan is totally boring I'll come back next year just for this."

Kongolo said, "Actually I bet there are some Indian restaurants in some of the towns not far from Hogwarts. I'm sure they'll have it."

Sylvia said, "Wonder if we could get Aberforth to make it. I bet it would be a hit at Hog's Head."

Harry gave a small laugh, "More students at Hog's Head? Aberforth would love that."

~~~ end of chapter 4 ~~~


	5. Chapter 5

~o~o~o~

 **Disclaimer:** All recognizable characters and settings belong to J. K. Rowling.

~o~o~o~

**Chapter 5**

~o~o~o~

They finished their lassis and headed for the main hall. Amma would soon be starting the evening program. They left their shoes in the large shoe racks outside, went in and took their seats. Soon Amma entered wearing the same bright white saree they had seen in the pictures. As soon as Amma stepped on stage Harry and Thyrsa both felt amazingly strong waves of magical energy emanating from her. Everyone in the audience stood up as Amma entered. Amma bowed down to the audience and sat down in meditation posture on a flat raised platform on the stage. Then everyone else sat down again.

Thyrsa whispered to Harry, "Do you feel that? Blimey! Even Dumbledore doesn't have a magical aura anything close to that."

Harry whispered his reply, "Yeah, I totally feel it. I'm gobsmacked! But feel her energy more carefully. It's different from regular magical energy. Feel the difference?"

Thyrsa sat quietly for a moment tuning into the subtle aspects of Amma's energy field. She replied, "Yeah, normal magical energy usually carries the person's personality, both good and bad stuff. But this is very smooth and gentle, although it's hard to use the word gentle for something so strong."

She paused. "It feels very friendly, and the power matches the friendliness. That sounds weird, but I don't know how else to describe it. I see now that muggles who have some kind of magical sensitivity would be very drawn to Amma."

Thyrsa turned to Sylvia and asked, "You feel how strong Amma's energy field is?" Sylvia replied, "Yes, of course. Kony and I wanted you and Harry to be surprised so we kept it a secret. It's amazing, isn't it?"

Thyrsa said, "It's beyond amazing. I had no idea that that kind of magical energy field even existed. Do any Wizarding communities know about this?"

Sylvia replied, "From what little I've heard almost all these great saints come from India. The Indian Wizarding communities have known about this for thousands of years, and they have contacts with great saints like Amma. But they keep it pretty secret." Sylvia glanced at the stage and turned back to Thyrsa, "The meditation is starting soon. Kony can share more details after the program." They both sat back in their chairs and focused their attention on Amma.

Amma's translator sat close by on her left side. He also sat in meditation posture with a short podium in front of him. He was dressed in dark red robes. Through her translator, Amma led the audience through a 30 minute guided meditation practice. Because of their training and inherent sensitivity to magical energy, and because of Amma's very strong energy field, Kongolo and his friends quickly went into a very deep and peaceful mindstate.

Harry felt his mind and emotions relax and expand more than he had experienced before. In that state, he saw more clearly than ever that there was some kind of dark knot in his being that wasn't his and wasn't him. From this expanded state he could sense for the first time that he didn't need to worry about it in the same way that having a rat in the house doesn't mean the house needs to be abandoned or torn down. And in a way that he couldn't understand or explain, he felt that it would be taken care of. He didn't need to know the details of how, the peace told him to just trust and relax.

Then his mind became more quiet and he rested in that space. In that place there arose a subtle feeling of connection to other people and the world around him. Intellectually he knew that he and everyone were dependent on the natural world being healthy, but he now could really feel it, at least in a small way. With that feeling came a sense of responsibility to others and to the natural world; he felt this in his body and emotions, not just in his mind. It was a good feeling of responsibility, like he had discovered part of his duty as a conscious human being. And that fulfilling that duty would bring him a deeper peace than he had known before. He felt he understood on a deeper level what Kongolo described in his first hug with Amma.

Thyrsa also easily merged into the silence and peace that emanated from Amma. For most of the meditation she just followed Amma's instructions and enjoyed the silence. Toward the end a series of thoughts entered her mind that it was OK to accept herself just as she was and to forgive herself for her mistakes. She had never consciously considered these possibilities but suddenly she could feel them. She could feel how it would be to be guided by these new thoughts and possibilities. Her relaxation deepened as these thoughts sank into her emotions and her heart and belly.

After the meditation, Kongolo and Sylvia looked at Harry and Thyrsa. Harry said, "Wow. Very nice. It's like a whole new world has opened up. Like when people first learned to sail the ocean, so many things to explore and discover." Thyrsa added, "Yeah, I get what you mean. I've always thought I was stuck with being my usual self, but now it's clear that's not true at all. I can change and grow and explore inside as much as I want. Much more to me than what I thought."

After people came back to normal awareness, Amma invited questions from the audience. People asked about how to deal with negative emotions, how to help save the earth from ecological disaster and the best way to meditate. As Amma answered, Kony and his friends could feel Amma's energy field reaching out to the person who asked the question and to the whole audience. While she was answering, her energy field, in a very gentle way, offered connection to everyone there. It was like Amma was saying, "I can help you, just give me a little small opening of trust and I can come in and help guide you on your path to deeper peace and clarity." The opening was just a willingness to trust that there was a higher love and wisdom always available. And that it's OK to relax and trust in the inherent divinity of the whole universe.

At various points in Amma's answers she or her translator would make jokes, and sometimes the translator would translate something not quite right, and Amma would correct him in a funny way.

As Kony and Sylvia had experienced in earlier Amma programs, Thyrsa and Harry began to notice another unusual aspect of Amma's magical field, it wasn't personal. The magical field of everyone has some kind of personal aspect. Their field in subtle ways reflects their main personal desires and difficulties. Just as most people can quickly gauge the general personality traits of others through their conversational style, tone of voice, facial expressions and body language, so too does the personality of the person reflect itself in the magical energy field.

But Amma's field was very different. It wasn't personal, it was just love and clarity with no kinds of personal hang ups or agendas at all. Her energy was profoundly relaxed and at ease, and it was constantly and very gently offering a connection if the recipient was willing to trust and relax into that connection.

After the Q&A, there was a break while the stage was prepared for the bhajans portion of the program. Bhajans are traditional Hindu devotional songs sung in a call and response style. Almost all bhajans are prayers offered to a particular Hindu deity. There are many many Hindu deities, but about 9 or 10 of them are the most popular and well known and the subject of most bhajans.

The four friends took bathroom breaks, stretched and walked around to loosen up after the long period of sitting. Kongolo and Sylvia took the opportunity to grab a cup of hot spiced chai from the drink stand. Soon they all returned back to their seats and Amma's musicians on stage were all seated in front of their instruments and microphones. Amma walked back on stage and everyone stood up again. Amma sat down and her musicians continued to tune up for a few more moments.

Kongolo loved Amma, but bhajans weren't his favorite thing. He delighted in Amma's presence but the bhajans didn't really do much for him. Sylvia loved the strong rhythms, hearing Amma sing, and feeling the devotional energy of the words. She got lost in the songs, reading the lyrics and swaying to the rhythm.

All the bhajans were sung in various Indian languages and translations of the lyrics were displayed on large video screens mounted up on either side of the stage. Some bhajans were fast and high energy and others were slower and more somber. The bhajans lasted about one and a half hours.

The final bhajan was the most high energy of all. The emotional energy in the room was quite powerful. After the bhajans were a few closing prayers and then the evening program was complete.

Next up was Amma's darshan scheduled to start in about 1 hour. The four friends browsed the many gift tables set up in the main room and in other rooms nearby.

At one point an attractive middle aged Indian lady dressed in a brightly colored saree came up and greeted Kongolo and Sylvia. She patted Kongolo's shoulder and said, "Hello Kongolo! Namah Shivaya. And Sylvia! Namah Shivaya. Great to see you also. Welcome back to both of you." She gave Sylvia a big smile and warm hug.

Sylvia said, "Raman! So wonderful to see you again also. Let me introduce you to my two dear friends Harry Potter and Thyrsa Svagar. They go to the same school as Kony and I up in Scotland." Raman gave them both a warm smile and first held Harry's hand. "So great that you can join us. I'm Raman Parimala, but please just call me Raman. This is your first time meeting Amma?" She then warmly held Thyrsa's hand. Harry said yes and Thyrsa said, "My first time meeting Amma and my first time meeting a mango lassi." They all laughed and Raman said, "Oh my gosh! Please don't remind me of them, they are way too delicious. Takes all my will power just to have one. And the person who prepares them here is way too good at making them. It's not easy to get the curd just right, but this man is a master."

Thyrsa replied, "They're just amazing. In the future I'll be constantly pestering Kony about when the next Amma program is. And the meditation was just amazing. My first time doing any kind of meditation. It was brilliant. Especially Amma's energy field; so wonderful."

Raman replied, "That's really nice to hear. Not everyone is sensitive to the subtle energies that Amma radiates."

Harry smiled and said, "I'm not sure I'd use the word 'subtle' to describe Amma's energy. It was really something to behold. I can't remember when my mind ever felt so peaceful and relaxed. The mango lassi was amazing but that meditation really was surprising. I never knew it was possible to feel so peaceful."

Raman held Harry's hand again and said, "That is so delightful to hear. So many young people are so stressed. It breaks my heart to see them under the weight of such tension. I work as a school nurse and by far the main problem young people have is anxiety and not knowing that it's possible to learn how to relax. I try to teach some simple meditation techniques to the students at my schools and some of them, like you both, respond in a really nice way. That's why I get such a great feeling when I see young people come to meet Amma. They have a chance to learn early on that life doesn't have to be so stressful."

Thyrsa put her arms around Kongolo and Sylvia and said, "And hanging out with this crew is also a great stress reliever. I tell them about all my problems and they don't charge me a thing. And to top it off they even pretend to listen."

Sylvia said, "You can get away with it cuz they're fun to listen to. You have pretty weird, off-the-wall problems."

Thyrsa said, "Of course they're fun. I make them all up."

Raman laughed and said, "Kongolo, your friends are wonderful. Amma will love meeting them. Amma also has a wicked sense of humor that never ends. If you ever learn her language and hang out near her while she's giving darshan, I guarantee you'll spend a lot of time laughing. Amma loves nothing more than joking around and teasing people. And she can tease mercilessly! I've been on the receiving end a few times. I'm completely embarrassed and also laughing until tears come out of my eyes."

Thyrsa said, "Oh. Being mercilessly teased by a divine goddess? I'm up for that. Can I tease her back?"

Raman smiled and said, "Of course, she loves that. Making your guru laugh is a great blessing. Amma doesn't let on but she knows English perfectly well. She'll pretend not to when it suits her purposes. Amma always says that when people grow spiritually there will be more laughter in the world."

Thrysa said, "More laughter and more mango lassis. Paradise is just around the corner! We're on our way."

Raman put her hand on her heart and said, "And Amma says it's also right inside, like a mango lassi that never gets empty. When you get your first Amma hug, you'll experience another kind of paradise. The best one of all, in my humble opinion."

She turned to Kongolo and said, "I have to run to my seva, but I'll look for you later and talk some more. If you have time to help out again with dining hall seva, that would be great. Just look for Authur and he'll get you oriented." She gave Kongolo a quick hug and said to all four of them, "Have a wonderful time! So nice to meet you. Namah Shivaya!" She turned and quickly walked away down the hallway.

"What a delightful lady." Harry said. "I do hope to meet her again. And anyone who is helping kids relax is great in my book."

Kongolo replied, "She really is wonderful. She's one of the many volunteer organizers of these Amma programs. Takes a huge amount of work. I met her at my first Amma program in 94 and have seen her every year since then. She works non-stop before, during and after the programs. I think she hardly sleeps for about 12 days helping to make sure everything goes smoothly. And she's always pleasant and friendly. She's a great ambassador of Amma."

Kongolo took a moment to look at a nearby clock, and said, "Soon Amma will come out for darshan and I'd like to be there when she does. You're welcome to wander around or join me, whichever you want. Let's all meet here again around midnight. Sound OK? I think our token number will come up around 2am at the earliest, but you never know."

Harry said, "I'll join you, I want to get another taste of Amma's energy field as she enters the hall." The other two also joined Kongolo.

~~~ end of chapter 5 ~~~


	6. Chapter 6

~o~o~o~

 **Disclaimer:** All recognizable characters and settings belong to J. K. Rowling.

~o~o~o~

**Chapter 6**

~o~o~o~

Dec 27th, 1996, early Friday morning. London.

At around 2:30 am their darshan token number came up and they got in line. On either side of the room was a line of chairs against the walls filled with people waiting to get their darshans. When someone completed their darshan, the rest of the line stood up and moved ahead one chair. It was decided that Thyrsa and Harry would go first since Sylvia and Kongolo wanted to witness their first darshans. Kongolo and Sylvia became quiet and closed their eyes in between moving from one chair to the next.

Thyrsa and Harry mostly watched the large video screens that showed a closeup of Amma giving darshan to one after another. Some of the darshans were pretty quick. At other times, especially with the Indians who knew her language, Amma would take some time to talk with them; mostly smiling and laughing but sometimes serious. After each darshan Amma gave the westerners a Hershey's kiss and the Indians received a little candy which was wrapped in a small brown paper bag.

At one point Thyrsa asked Sylvia about the paper bags. Sylvia replied in a quiet voice, "They have a small amount of something called 'vibhuti'. It's a light gray sacred ash fine powder made from a special kind of burnt wood. It's very common in India and used as a medicine and to put on the skin. When vibhuti has been blessed by a holy person like Amma, it's especially powerful. She usually doesn't give it to westerners because most of them don't know what it is or what to do with it. In some parts of India, they'll make vibhuti from the dung of native Indian cows. They'll dry the dung very well in the sun. Then burn it in a special ritual. Then they'll filter the ash to get a fine powder. In India cows are very sacred and their dung has been used as a medicine for thousands of years. After my first darshan last year, I got interested in India and talked to some of the Indians here about their traditions. I also read a few books about Indian history and religious practices. It's a pretty rich and complicated culture."

Thyrsa thought for a moment and then asked, "Think I could ask Amma for a packet of vibhuti?" Sylvia gave a little laugh, "Of course. Be real interesting to see what she does."

All night bhajans were being sung and music was being played. Different musicians would arrive, set up, play for an hour or two and then the next group would come in. There was some variation. Sometimes western musicians would play really beautiful instrumental sets in between the more traditional bhajans. A few westerners would dance and sway to the music in a meditative way in the back of the hall or on the sides.

The bulk of the room was filled with chairs in the middle. Many of the chairs were empty; as the night wore on more and more people would get their darshans and go home. But there was still a large contingent who intended to stay the whole night. Some of them were sound asleep in the chairs, others seemed enchanted just watching the closeup video of Amma giving darshan, and others were chanting prayers from Hindu prayer books. In the back of the hall were the gift tables and information tables.

Soon the four friends moved to the chairs on stage as they got closer to Amma. From this close distance they could really feel the power of Amma's energy field. Thyrsa and Harry commented on this to Sylvia and Kongolo. They all leaned forward to watch Amma give darshan. Amma had a magnetic quality and they were compelled to just gaze at her. When it was their turn, the next person for darshan got out of their chair and got on their knees on the padded carpet in front of Amma. Amma was seated in a low, thickly padded chair.

Then when Amma had completed with one person and they stepped away, the next would be guided by the assistants to quickly move forward on their knees and Amma would pull them in close and give them a full embrace. Then Amma would usually whisper something directly into their right ear for a few seconds, give them another squeeze. They would lean back a little and Amma would give them either the Hershey's Kiss or the candy and vibhuti depending.

Harry said to Thyrsa, "I've never seen someone with such bright eyes and such an expressive face. It looks like she's having the very best time of her life talking to and hugging all these people."

Then it was Harry's turn. He got on his knees facing Amma and was amazed at the energy flowing out of Amma. He felt a deep peace and joy inside and his mind became very quiet. Strangely enough, his scar suddenly became painful, not overwhelming, but strong enough. However, Amma's energy field put him in a place where he could observe and experience the pain without taking it personally, not much different than the slight discomfort on his knees as he knelt on the carpet.

As Amma was hugging the person in front of him, Amma's hands were behind the man's back and very close. Without thinking, Harry carefully reached out and gently touched Amma's hands. She didn't react one way or another, so he kept his hand there, lightly touching the back of her hands. The thought arose that it was a great honor to touch someone like Amma. Soon the man in front of him was finished; he stood up and moved away. Amma gave Harry a brief smile and joyful look before pulling him in close. Her eyes were so alive!

Amma pressed her left cheek onto him and whispered into his right ear. Harry didn't realize the hug would feel quite this intimate. He couldn't remember a time when he had been held so close. Amma leaned back a little and looked at Harry's forehead. She reached out and pushed up his dark hair. After looking for a few seconds Amma gently touched his forehead and asked, "Pain?" Harry's mind was in a quiet place so he just said, "Yes."

Amma pulled Harry close and put her lips right over where his scar was and kept them there for a few seconds. Then she leaned back, again looked carefully at his forehead and again put her lips there for a few seconds. As she did this Harry suddenly felt a big pain for a brief second all inside and over his head; he grimaced, sucked in his breath and then the pain was gone. Then she leaned back and looked again, this time seemingly satisfied with her work. Amma then reached out to grab a thick white dish towel from the table next to her chair. Amma briefly coughed into the towel and placed it back on the table.

Then she looked at Harry with a big smile, reached out to the table on her other side and dabbed her fingers into a small bowl of light grey powder. Then she raised Harry's bangs and with the other hand rubbed 3 thick horizontal lines of the powder across Harry's forehead. Then she dabbed a small circle of slightly yellowish past between his eyebrows, and then dabbed a small spot of dark red powder in the center of the yellowish paste. After doing this her assistant gave her a Hershey's Kiss which she handed to Harry.

She spoke briefly to another assistant who gave Amma a small brown paper sack which Amma kissed and touched to her forehead. Amma then turned to her other side and spoke for a moment to one of her Indian male assistants who was dressed in dark red robes. Then Amma gave the small bag to Harry. Harry turned his attention to the Indian man as he translated Amma instructions, "In the small bag is some special vibhuti powder. Amma says this is for 'Tom Riddle'; it will help him feel better. Do you know someone by that name?"

Harry was looking at him in shocked disbelief.

How did Amma know about Riddle? And Tom Riddle was Voldemort for bloody Merlin's sakes! How on earth was he going to waltz up to Voldemort and say, "Hey Voldy, Amma would like you to take this powder. She says it will help you feel better. So, like, could you take it? There's a good chap."

Harry then transferred his look of stunned disbelief to Amma. Before he could say anything, Amma just started laughing and then she spoke again to the red robed man. He listened carefully and then said to Harry, "Amma says don't worry. She will take care of all the details. Speak to the leaders at your school and they will know what to do."

Harry's look of disbelief didn't change one bit.

How were they going to get Voldemort to take it? It seemed like a totally foolish and hopeless task to even think about. They'll burst out laughing as soon as he tells them. Amma then reached out with both hands and gently held Harry's face. She gave Harry the sweetest smile and said, "Trust. All be OK. Amma do the work."

She then embraced him again in a big hug against her soft plump body and gently rocked him back and forth. Then she leaned back and Harry stood up as Amma reached out for the next person. The red robed man said to Harry, "Amma would like you to sit on stage for a while. We have some chairs back there." With a confused and slightly dazed feeling Harry went to the indicated chairs and took a seat.

Amma finished with the lady who came after Harry and then it was Thyrsa's turn. Amma gave a Thyrsa big smile and quickly pulled her in for a tight warm hug, gently rocking her back and forth a few times. Amma whispered in her ear and then leaned back, rubbing Thyrsa's left cheek. Thyrsa asked her in a clear voice, "Amma, will you be my inner voice?" Amma laughed like a child and then said with a heavy accent, "Yes, if you promise to talk to me everyday, OK?" Thrysa replied, "But Amma, how should I talk to you?" Amma said, "If you feel bad, you tell me, OK? And if you feel good you also tell me, OK?" Thyrsa said, "OK, deal!" Then she reached out and shook hands with Amma. Amma again laughed like a child. She pulled Thyrsa in for a quick final hug before giving her a Hershey's Kiss.

Thrysa stood up, saw Harry seated in the back and joined him. "OK to join you?" she asked. Harry smiled and said, "Sure, that would be brilliant." She sat down and they watched Sylvia stand up from her darshan with a big smile. After another person went it was Kongolo's turn.

Amma pulled Kongolo into her arms and whispered into his ear, "My darling son. My darling son." Then she gave him a kiss on the cheek, a big smile and a Hershey's Kiss. Kongolo had pulled Marjorie's bracelet out of his pocket and offered it to Amma saying, "This is a gift from Marjorie Brown to you." Amma gave a big smile and looked at the bracelet and then she looked at her assistants and said something in her own language. Then Amma handed the bracelet to one of her female assistants standing on her left side. This assistant was a middle aged Indian woman dressed in yellow robes. She held the bracelet in her hand and said something to Amma before returning the bracelet.

Amma smiled and spoke some more in her own language. The female assistant translated to Kongolo: "Amma says the bracelet has a very nice spiritual energy and it's a beautiful gift. Please tell Miss Brown that Amma is very happy and will give it to the right person." Then Amma gave him a quick hug and smile before reaching for the next person.

Kongolo stood up and saw Thyrsa and Harry seated in the back. He gave a little wave, walked over to them and asked, "Shall we meet up at the dining hall in about 45 minutes; say about 3:30am?" Harry and Thyrsa said that would be great. Kongolo smiled, patted Harry on the shoulder and went off the stage to join Sylvia.

She asked Harry, "OK if I see what Amma put on your forehead?" Harry said, "Sure, let me know how weird it looks." Harry carefully lifted his unruly hair from his forehead and Thyrsa said, "Wow. Actually looks pretty cool. Next time you go to the bog take a look. I think you'll like it."

She paused and said, "Actually, I got a little mirror here." She dug into her pocket and pulled out a small mirror. Harry took it and looked at the marks. "Wow, indeed. Looks I'm ready to go out to some punk rock club or something."

Thrysa laughed and said, "Or something. Makes you look a little like an Indian holy man yourself."

Harry replied, "With Amma's energy field blasting out the way it does, I kinda feel like a holy man. Maybe I'll start giving out a few hugs."

Thyrsa laughed and said, "Sorry, totally won't work."

Harry asked, "Why not? Aren't I the Boy Who Lived?"

Thrysa rubbed the hair on top of his head and said, "You certainly are, Oh Great One. And you're still a skinny boy. You need to put on about 5 or 6 stones before you'll get big crowds to hug you. Right now you're a little too bony and sharp."

Harry said, "I'm not 'skinny'. I'm 'svelte'. I'll have you know there's a big difference. 'Svelte' is cool and fashionable. Besides, I'll give out a chocolate frog with each hug."

Thyrsa said, "That'll help, but still not quite enough."

Harry looked at Amma hugging thousands of people all night and into the early morning. He said, "You know, I think my arms would completely cramp up after just a half hour of hugging. Have no idea how she can do it for 10 hours at a stretch. And laugh and joke around the whole time. A bleedin' miracle."

Harry then asked about her darshan and Thrysa gave the full story. Then she looked thoughtful for a moment, "I think I'll buy a little framed picture of Amma, that will make it easier to talk to her every day. You know what's strange, I know for certain that Amma is telling the truth. Even though she was laughing and having fun, she takes our little deal quite seriously and she really means it when she says she'll be my inner voice. That if I talk to her picture she'll definitely be listening. How weird is that? She could be on the other side of the planet and still I know she'll hear me. Strange."

Thyrsa said to Harry, "Looked like you had an amazing darshan. Like to share about it?" Harry thought for a moment and said, "Actually, I would. But I'd like Kony and Sylvia to also be there. When we all meet up I'll share all about it. It was bloody amazing in more ways than one, I can say that for sure. Something important happened, but I don't know what."

Thrysa said, "Sure, that's a good idea. Would be nicer if we're all together to hear about it."

She looked at Amma for a moment and said, "You know, let's do a little meditation. I want to absorb some more of her energy while I got the chance to sit close to her."

Harry replied, "Yeah, I'm feeling really good. Hard to explain. Some meditation would be brilliant."

They both sat in silence for a while.

~~~ end of chapter 6 ~~~


	7. Chapter 7

~o~o~o~

**Disclaimer:** All recognizable characters and settings belong to J. K. Rowling.

~o~o~o~

**Chapter 7**

~o~o~o~

They got their trays of late night snacks and chai and sat down at an empty table. Sylvia looked to Thyrsa and said, "I could overhear your darshan. It was bloody brilliant. Amma only rarely speaks in English so that was a real treat to hear her speak and actually understand a few words. Now you have to live up to your end of the bargain."

Thyrsa replied, "No worries there, I got a nice little framed Amma pic." She reached into her bag and pulled out a small item wrapped in paper. She took off the rubber band and unwrapped it to reveal a small picture of Amma in a nice gold colored frame. She showed it to the group. "See that smile? Just brilliant. So everyday I'll share something with Amma. I can start by sharing how gorgeous Robert is when he eats breakfast. Well, except when he's sitting next to Evelyn Granville. Definitely won't share about that."

"Hey! Wait a minute." said Sylvia, "You can't start this off by hiding things from Amma. That's not part of the deal."

Thyrsa said, "I know, I know. I will share everything, but give me a little time. It'll take a little while to get fully comfortable sharing all my yukky stuff. I gotta take it slow at first. I don't want to overwhelm Amma right at the beginning."

Kongolo gave a smile, "I think that could be a smart approach. It's clear that Amma so easily gets overwhelmed."

Thyrsa gently punched him on the arm and said, "Pish! You know what I mean. Besides, whose side are you on?"

Kongolo spoke in a sexy voice, "I'm on the side of love."

Thyrsa said, "See! He clearly supports Robert falling in love with me." Thrysa gave Kongolo a quick hug, and said, "You are such a dear."

Kongolo said, "Cool. Even more hugs. I'm hittin' the jackpot tonight."

Sylvia said, "You know, Kony, you've got a pretty good sexy voice. Where have you been practicing?"

Kongolo said, "I use it when I talk to my own Amma picture. It seems to work better at getting her attention."

Sylvia, "Now you wait a minute. Amma is a holy saint. You shouldn't be distracting her with your sexy voice."

"Nah, it's fine." Kongolo said, "It makes Amma laugh. And remember what Raman said about making your guru laugh? Really good karma."

"Oh! This is great news." said Thyrsa, "I made Amma laugh a lot during my darshan, so I must have gotten a whole boatload of good karma."

Harry smiled and said, "Maybe even enough to finally snag Robert."

"Sweet! That would be so brilliant." Thyrsa said, "But I'll keep trying to make Amma laugh just to make sure." She paused for a second. "What do you think is the best way to make Amma laugh?"

Sylvia gave a sly smile, "Just be yourself, babe."

Thyrsa gave a perky smile, "I can do that!" Then she dug into her snacks.

They enjoyed their snacks and chai while Thyrsa, Sylvia and Kongolo shared about their darshans. Then Thyrsa asked Harry if he was ready to share about his. Harry said, "Yeah, especially after having a cup of chai. I was getting kinda sleepy after my darshan. Feeling much better now. I have to find out what spices they put in this tea. Really good."

Harry then shared all the details about his darshan while they listened with full attention. When Harry had finished, Thyrsa said with a sly smile, "Sounds like Amma was snogging your scar."

They all burst out laughing. After catching her breath, Sylvia said, "Just brilliant. Thyrsa, you always know the most ridiculous things to say. You have a real gift."

Thyrsa said, "I've got many gifts, but most are hidden from mere mortals. Only Amma can see all of them."

Kongolo said, "We know. That's why Amma laughed so much during your darshan." Thyrsa punched his arm.

Harry smiled and said, "In reality, 'snogging' is actually a pretty good description of what happened. Although Amma's intention was of course very different from the usual run-of-the-mill snogging."

Thrysa said, "Quick pro tip: Never put up with 'run-of-the-mill' snogging. I've learned the hard way."

Sylvia looked at everyone and said, "Don't say anything. Just let it slide by."

Harry said, "And miss the chance of hearing some juicy story? No way."

Sylvia just said, "OK, looks like you'll have to learn the hard way."

Harry said, "The hard way is fine. Looking at my life, it seems that's the only way I ever learn anything."

With a small smile Kongolo said, "As long as you learn; that's all that matters. But getting back to your darshan, it sounds like it was truly amazing. So Amma knows about Voldemort! And wants to help him? That's like, just 'Wow!' What do we even do with that kind of news? And I think it will be good if none of us talk about it with anyone else. Voldemort has eyes and ears at Hogwarts and we definitely don't want him learning about this."

Harry replied, "Goodness yes. Who knows what kind of horrible things Voldy would do if he found out that Amma knew about him. Not only knew about him, but wanted to 'help' him. And what does Amma even mean by 'helping' him? And how did she even know about him in the first place? Who knows what would happen to Voldy if by some staggering miracle we actually got him to take the powder. I've got so many questions running through my mind. I don't even know how to process all this."

Sylvia said, "I 100% agree with Kony. We all have to seriously not tell anyone about this. Seems to me what really needs to happen is for you" she indicated Kongolo, who was the Head Boy of Hogwarts, "and Harry to have a meeting with the senior staff at Hogwarts. Dumbledore, McGonagall, Moody, Bones, Snape, Tonks and Shacklebolt. You both can meet with Dumbledore first to arrange the meeting, but my feeling is to not give the main details to Dumbledore at that preliminary meeting. Only give all the details when the whole group is together. Dumbledore is probably the most powerful wizard alive, but he can be slightly batty at times. The other people need to be there to make sure he makes sensible decisions. And Amma is something totally new, so you'll need the experience of all of them to figure out the best thing to do with the powder. Maybe one of them has some experience with magical India and that could help."

Kony listened carefully and said to Sylvia, "I think you're exactly right. We have to wait for the full meeting before giving all the details." He then spoke to Harry, "When we get back we'll arrange the first meeting with Dumbledore. Hopefully he'll take us seriously. All of us know that Amma is way way beyond any normal wizard, and has abilities that we can only guess at. The trick will be to persuade Dumbledore and the rest to take this seriously."

Thrysa spoke up, "There's something else that will help a lot. We can trust in Amma. I've only met her one time but I have this clear feeling that when she says she'll take care of things, she will. My sense is the best thing you can do at these meetings is to not try to force anything. Just relax and let Amma do the work. I don't know how, but at my darshan I got the clear feeling that Amma is in charge. There can't be two sets of hands on the steering wheel. I'm guessing all of you have a similar feeling?"

Kongolo said, "Excellent reminder, Thyrsa. Thanks. That is very important." Sylvia nodded her agreement as well.

Thyrsa continued, "So one way to approach this is to let Amma handle the job of convincing Dumbledore and the rest to take this seriously. If we're open and trusting, Amma will work through us and speak through us as needed."

Harry said, "You know, Sylvia said something that could be very helpful. Is it possible to contact someone or a group in magical India who could help with this? We could raise this at the meeting."

Kongolo said, "Holy people and saints like Amma appear quite often in India. Some of them are very well known. Others are much more quiet, living alone or having just a few followers. But Indian muggles and magical India have been interacting with such saints for thousands of years. It's certain they'll know many things that we don't. We'll mention this at the meeting. There are some Indian students and staff at Hogwarts but we shouldn't talk to them about this until we have the main meeting." He turned to Harry and asked, "Where do you think is the safest place to keep the bag of vibhuti?"

Harry replied, "Well, being the 'Boy Who Lived' means I'm under all kinds of scrutiny from all sides. I'm aware of some of it, but not all of it. And the powder could, somehow, be the thing that finally eliminates the horrible threat of Tom Riddle as a Dark Lord. So that means that little bag of grey powder is valuable beyond measure."

He looked at Kongolo, "Maybe you could keep it? As far as I know neither Voldy or any of the Death Eaters have any particular interest in you." Harry reached into his pocket and put the little paper sack on the table.

Kongolo gave a small laugh, "I'm a Hufflepuff. And to Voldy and the Death Eaters, we Hufflepuffs barely even exist to them. Even being the Head Boy can't cause them to have any interest in a Hufflepuff like me. In this case, that's a very good thing. And I'm African which, to most of those daft pure blood ideologues, means like I'm from another planet. Another reason for them to totally ignore me. I think you're right that it'll be good for me to keep it for the time being. Sylvia? Thyrsa? What do you think?"

Thrysa agreed with the plan and Sylvia said, "Perhaps we can put some wards and charms on the bag to help keep it safe? Is there a charm we can put on it so that you'll get notified if it moves from a certain location? And put on a tracking charm so you'll know where it is at all times? And add any protection and hiding charms we know."

Harry said, "All great ideas. We can't really do that here with so many muggles around. But let's do all of that as soon as we get back to Whittlesey Refuge. Miss Brown is a pretty senior witch, so I'm sure she could put on some powerful spells," he paused, "but if we ask her she may get suspicious and ask us why. Probably better to not risk doing that." They all agreed.

Kongolo stood up, went to the food counter and soon returned. "I got a plastic bag and some rubber bands." He picked up the bag, held it for a few seconds and said, "It's interesting, there's no magical signature on this that I can detect." He handed it to Harry and asked, "Can you feel anything?"

Harry also held it for a few seconds and said, "Nothing that I can detect. Maybe someone like Dumbledore or Voldy could detect something. If this has any magical powers or charms, it seems to me Amma has totally hidden them. It must have some kind of really powerful magic if it can 'help' Voldy. At the meeting we'll see if any of the senior staff can detect anything."

Kongolo took the small bag, wrapped it in the plastic bag and secured it with some rubber bands. "Makes sure none of the powder can spill out." Kongolo put the bag in his pocket. "Let's all of us be on the lookout for a private space where we can put on the initial set of spells. If we can't do it here, we'll try at Whittlesey."

Sylvia said, "It may be possible to transfigure it to look like something else? Would that be helpful?" Kongolo replied, "Could be, but I'm concerned that transfiguring it could damage whatever magical power Amma has added. Best not to take the chance."

They all finished eating and Kongolo gathered all the items onto one tray and took it over to the recycling bins. When he returned he said to the group, "My best guess is that Amma will be going til about 7 am or so. Sylvia and I plan to spend the night here helping out. Would you two like to stay or head back?"

Thyrsa said, "I'd definitely like to stay. The chai works great for me and I'd like to help out also." Harry then spoke, "I'll stay also. After whatever Amma did to me I'm feeling very good. Feeling light inside like some old knots got sliced. And I want to spend some more time in Amma's energy before I go back."

Kongolo said, "I think they need some help here in the dining hall. I've volunteered here in the previous years. Lots of little jobs need doing to keep it running smoothly. And the crowds this year are a bit larger than previous years. Let me check with the boss here and I'll be back in a few minutes."

Thyrsa, Sylvia and Harry sat and chatted for a few minutes. Harry's forehead markings were scrutinized by Sylvia and received glowing praise. "Looks great!" She said. "You know, if you want, I can cast a little spell to make them last longer, like a few days for a few weeks. Waddya say?" Harry just rolled his eyes and said, "Yeah, that's just what I need; more attention. Like I don't get more than enough already."

Thyrsa said, "Actually, could work out for the better. Next time that rat Voldy sees you he'll say 'What in the bloody hell is that on your forehead?'. And that'll give you plenty of time to blast him with a cutting spell."

Sylvia said, "Oooh. I like it. Pretty sneaky. I think you've got the makings to be a good Defense Against the Dark Arts professor."

Thyrsa shuddered, "No way. That position is cursed. I'd end up dying some horrible death. And I don't want to die while there's still a chance I could snag Robert from the wicked Evelyn Granville."

Harry said, "Careful. Remember that Amma is officially now your inner voice so she's hearing all this. Better be on your best behavior. And she wants us to always speak kindly of others."

With a scared expression Thyrsa clapped her hand over her mouth. Then she said, "Blimey! You're right. Thanks for the reminder. Looks like keeping up my side of the bargain may be harder than I thought. Later on I'll tell Amma that I know Evelyn is not that wicked. And I'll tell her I want Robert to be happy, so he's welcome to date anyone he wants."

She again looked surprised. "Did I just say that? Criminy. That must have been Amma. No way could have been me. Hey Sylvie, will being an Amma devotee make me boring?"

"No way. It will just make you more loving... _if_ you're willing to follow her guidance. And, speaking for myself, it's not easy at all. The more I try to be compassionate, the more my selfish side rebels and hijacks my better judgment. Each time I think I've made some progress, my selfish side causes me to do something stupid. But Amma says all the time the spiritual path is not easy, and our selfish side is a lot stronger than we think. But I just try to always forgive myself and keep trying. Self forgiveness makes the spiritual path much easier."

Thyrsa said, "Well, after meeting Amma I got the clear feeling that she can forgive everyone. So if she can do it, at least I can try. I don't have to forgive everyone, just myself."

Sylvia said, "It all starts from there. Once you can forgive yourself, forgiving others is much easier."

Thyrsa said, "So the next time I see Evelyn, I can say 'I forgive you for stealing my Robert and being so wicked.'"

Sylvia and Harry laughed. Sylvia said, "I don't think it works that way. But don't take my word for it. Check in with your inner Amma now and see what she says."

In a perky voice, Thyrsa said, "Good idea! You all be quiet for a moment." Thyrsa closed her eyes for a moment, opened them and said, "It worked! Amma said she also forgives Evelyn."

Sylvia and Harry laughed even louder.

Soon Kongolo returned. He sat down and said, "I spoke to Authur who's the volunteer manager of the dining hall. He said he would love some help. If you guys are up for it, we could go have a quick meeting with him and he'll get us oriented on the jobs."

Sylvia said, "Cool. Sounds good." They all went over and Authur explained the tasks. Soon all four of them were busy serving food, moving food, cleaning tables, sweeping the floor, emptying the trash cans, and other tasks.

At one point Thyrsa said to Harry, "Now I know what being a House elf feels like."

Harry replied, "Yeah, I see what you mean, this is a lot of work. And I keep thinking we could get this all cleaned up with a few waves of our wands."

Thyrsa replied, "No, I meant something a little different. We both know that the biggest joy of a House elf is to serve their master. Well, I think I'm feeling a little bit of that same joy by serving Amma and her devotees."

Harry stopped what he was doing and looked at Thyrsa. He thought for a moment and then said with real sincerity, "Wow. Thank you. Now I see what you're saying. That is really helpful for me. I think your inner Amma is shining bright."

Thyrsa gave Harry a quick hug and they continued with their work.

~o~o~o~

The hours rolled by quickly and there was a steady stream of hungry, thirsty and sleepy Amma devotees coming into the dining hall. At one point Sylvia found an empty room that was only being used to store some items for the various gift tables. She passed word to Kongolo and, with Authur's permission, they all took a little break and went to the room.

They entered, turned on the light and found that no one was there. They went to an empty corner of the room and Sylvia pulled out her wand and cast a quick invisibility spell and silencing spell over them. Then Kongolo took the vibhuti packet out of his pocket and cast a tracking charm on it so he would always know it's location.

Thyrsa was adept with an "ignore me" spell that caused someone or something to be ignored even when directly looked at. She waved her wand over the packet and cast the spell. Harry knew a "come to me now" spell which would cause it to immediately apparate directly to him if triggered by a short spoken phrase.

At one point the door opened and two muggles came in to get some items. The four friends remained still and quiet, just in case. In a few moments the two people left with an armload of items and switched off the light.

Thyrsa waved her wand to the light switch and flipped it back on. Kongolo said, "I think that's a good amount of protection for now. If any of you think of other spells we could put on it, let us know." He placed the packet back in his pocket and Sylvia removed the invisibility and silencing spells. Then they left the room, switching off the light behind them.

On their way back to the dining hall, Sylvia said to Thyrsa, "I saw the Amma picture you got and it's beautiful. But I want to show you something else that you may like." Thyrsa replied, "Sure, what is it?" Sylvia said, "It's at one of the gift tables in the main hall. Let's head on over there."

Sylvia then said to Harry and Kongolo, "Thyrsa and I want to see something at one of the gift tables. We'll join you back in the dining hall in a little bit." Harry said, "No problem. See you then."

Sylvia and Thyrsa went to one of the gift tables at the back of the hall. Some clearly sleepy volunteers were helping customers and completing purchases. On the table was a wide assortment of Amma dolls of various sizes and various clothings. Many were dressed in a white saree just like Amma wore, but others were dressed in various brightly colored sarees with small ornaments, earrings, crowns and beautiful sashes. One of the volunteers said to them, "Feel free to pick them up if you want. Let me know if you have any questions."

Thyrsa said "Wow! I didn't notice this table. These are beautiful." Thyrsa picked up one 25cm high Amma doll dressed in a bright blue saree with all kinds of decorative ornaments of gold and silver color. Sylvia said, "Yeah, aren't they just gorgeous? I know you like your Amma picture, but I was thinking that you may also like to get an Amma doll to talk to. If you're gonna be talking with Amma everyday, why not get something that looks a little more like the real thing?"

Thyrsa said, "Sylvia, this is a great idea. I'm so glad you showed these to me. Now I just have to pick one that I like the best. They're all really beautiful." Thyrsa paused to carefully examine the highly skilled and detailed stitching in the doll. She said, "It looks like they're really well made; very high quality." Thyrsa saw one doll dressed in a beautiful yellow saree. She picked it up and showed it to Sylvia, "See the color? It's very similar to Hufflepuff. The yellow dress and the dark skin. And Amma is clearly a Hufflepuff at heart." She spent some more time looking at it from various angles. "I think I'll take this one."

Thyrsa made the purchase and the doll was placed in a bag for her. Sylvia said, "One thing you can do if you want is to touch it to Amma. Just go on stage to the back of the hall where you were sitting with Harry. Then go to Amma's chair and gently touch the doll to Amma so it will have Amma's full blessing." Thyrsa said, "I love it. That's a wonderful idea. The crowd is smaller so looks like now is as good a time as any. Be back in a moment."

Thyrsa went to the stage, moved behind Amma and gently touched the doll to her shoulder. Amma turned, gently took the doll and gave it a quick kiss on the forehead and returned it to Thyrsa. Thyrsa felt a wave of joy and gratitude arise.

When Thyrsa met up with Sylvia she related what happened. Then she said, "Amma kissed an Amma doll. Isn't that a little narcissistic?"

Sylvia laughed, "With Amma it's OK. She knows everything is her own Self anyway."

Thrysa looked thoughtful, "Wow, that's some high level spiritual ideas. I gotta think about that. So when Amma hugs us, it's like she's hugging an aspect of herself? Like I know my right hand is part of me."

Sylvia replied, "Yeah, like that. But I know that just on an intellectual level. The trick is to really feel it; to know it all the way to your core. That's where spiritual practice takes us."

Thyrsa said, "So if I really get to that place, then I'd feel a oneness with Robert?"

Sylvia laughed. "Definitely. But it wouldn't be _personal_. It would be beyond your ego and personal desires."

Thyrsa said, "Uh oh. That's no good. I definitely wanna get _personal_ with Robert."

Soon they were back at work in the dining hall, taking occasional chai breaks.

~~~ end of chapter 7 ~~~


	8. Chapter 8

~o~o~o~

 **Disclaimer:** All recognizable characters and settings belong to J. K. Rowling.

~o~o~o~

**Chapter 8**

~o~o~o~

At around 7:30 am the word went around that Amma was close to finishing darshan. Authur told the four of them to go and be with Amma as the ending of darshan was always a special time. They settled into some chairs at the main hall, listened to the bhajans and watched Amma on the big video screens.

Harry and Thyrsa were amazed at seeing Amma. She had been giving darshan non-stop to about 6,000 people since 10 pm last night, and she looked as vibrant, happy and energetic as ever. The four friends were feeling quite knackered and more than a little frazzled by being up all night and drinking a steady stream of chai to keep from falling over.

At one point volunteers came and moved all the chairs and stacked them against the walls. The special song for Amma called 'Arati' was performed. During the song the very last person finally got their darshan and Amma easily stood up from her chair with no indication that she had been sitting in that same chair for almost 10 hours straight.

Amma moved near the front of the stage. One of her female attendants dressed in red robes stood next to her holding a large basket of flower petals. With an angelic smile, Amma began grabbing flower petals and throwing them at the audience near the front of the stage. As she was doing this, volunteers in the crowd guided people near the front of the stage to keep moving so eventually after about 10 minutes everyone in the audience received a shower of flower petals.

Then Amma grabbed two big handfuls of flower petals and gently moved her hands so the petals slowly fell to the floor. As she did this she slowly looked around the room to everyone with a loving gaze. Then she stepped backwards and moved off the stage.

Harry and Thyrsa enjoyed experiencing for the first time such emotional energy in a large group; a mixture of shared devotion and excitement to be in the presence of such a powerful and loving being.

Then the audience formed two long lines facing each other about 2 meters apart. Audience members walked down the hallways to become part of the lines. The line went all the way to the convention center main doors.

Amma appeared on stage again in a fresh, clean, bright white saree. She held both hands up and with a big smile began walking between the lines. As she walked everyone in the two lines reached their hands out to touch Amma's hands. Amma would occasionally stop to greet a baby or young child being held by its parents. Before long Amma exited the convention center, entered a car and was driven away.

Then most of the audience gathered their items and began leaving. The core volunteers who traveled with Amma and many local volunteers then began the task of cleaning and packing up all the gift tables and everything else.

~o~o~o~

The four friends gathered their items, left the center and headed toward Whittlesey. It was a grey cold winter morning and they put on all their layers of clothing. The magical wards at Whittlesey recognized the four friends and let them pass with no problems. Whittlesey was quiet when they arrived, the residents either traveling on holiday or out on various tasks and errands.

When they got there Sylvia looked at Harry and said, "Hey, you still have all that stuff on your forehead. You may want to clean it off before we floo to Hogwarts." Harry replied, "Oi! Totally forgot about it. Be right back."

Harry went to the large kitchen and cleaned off the markings. There was no mirror around so he felt his forehead and it seemed like it was all properly cleaned. He returned to the group and put his bag back on his shoulder. Sylvia glanced at Harry and then looked at his forehead more closely. Harry looked at her curiously and said, "What's up?" Sylvia didn't say anything but just gently lifted his dark bangs.

Then she turned to Kongolo and Thyrsa and said, "Hey guys, you see what I see?" Kongolo and Thyrsa came and also looked at Harry's forehead. Kongolo said, "Wow, now that's a surprise."

In an exasperated voice Harry said, "For Merlin's sake, will one of you tell me what's going on? Or at least give me a mirror?" Sylvia pulled her mirror from her bag and handed it to Harry. He lifted his bangs and looked.

His scar was gone.

Harry's mind went real quiet. He had no idea how to process this piece of information. He looked some more and gently touched the area.

He whispered, "Blimey! What did Amma do to me? How could she take away that scar?" Then he said, "Maybe Miss Brown's concealment spell didn't go away when I came back here?"

Kongolo held out his wand and said, "Let me check." He held his wand up to Harry's forehead to see if the concealment spell was still active. It wasn't, and he told this to Harry.

Kongolo then asked, "Harry, how do you feel?"

Harry sat down on a nearby sofa and explored inside himself. Since his darshan with Amma he was busy and didn't really have a quiet moment. Now he closed his eyes and relaxed and made himself open to whatever was arising inside. He felt good. Peaceful. As he absorbed these feelings he realized this was something completely new to him; to feel peaceful inside. All his life from his first memories he felt a fear and anger inside that somehow didn't seem to be part of him, yet was coloring each moment of his life. By some major miracle rather than driving him totally mad, the Dursley's had caused him to look inside himself for his own well being rather than ever trusting someone else. But looking inside was always difficult because it took all his skill and vigilance not to succumb to the anger and fear that lived inside. He learned to compartmentalize that part of himself off into a corner of his mind. It still made a fuss like a crying baby that never stopped, but he could keep looking elsewhere inside for the well being. And bit by bit he was able to find it. Just little bits of it but enough to keep him somewhat sane. But now he felt…

Safe. Relaxed.

He was OK. The world was OK. It held craziness, but the larger space of the world was OK.

He suddenly realized how much psychic and emotional energy he had constantly put into saying "No!" to everything inside and outside. That No was gone.

In its place was just quietness and receptivity, an enjoyment of being with himself and the world around him.

He breathed a few times.

His friends sat with him on the sofa and chairs. He looked at them and for the first time felt how they loved and appreciated him simply for who and what he was. And he realized he felt the same.

Harry started to cry tears of joy. His friends came close and held him. Thyrsa popped into the kitchen and returned with some tissues. Harry blew his nose, paused, and cried some more. His friends heard something in how he cried that caused them to also relax.

After a while Harry leaned back on the sofa, looking at the beautiful woodwork and old paintings of grand Wizards and Witches on the opposite wall. Then he sniffed, blew his nose again and said, "Amma healed something inside me. I didn't realize what a big knot I had inside, but Amma untied it and took it away. Now I'm just myself. I'm just me. I didn't know breathing could feel this good."

They all gathered in close to each other for a while, enjoying the presence.

After a while, Harry said, "Shall we pop out for some Hogwarts breakfast?"

As they stood up Kongolo pulled out his wand and said, "Ready for school clothes?" He waved his wand and said a spell to dissolve Marjorie's transformation, and their clothes changed back into Hogwarts school uniforms. Then Sylvia did the same for Kongolo.

Then Kongolo spoke into the air, "House Elf, please." A House elf appeared, "Yes, Master Kongolo, how can I be of service?"

"One sheet of parchment and one quill and ink, please." The House elf disappeared and returned a few seconds later with the items. Kongolo wrote a note on the parchment.

_Dear Miss Brown,_

_We all thank you very much for your kind hospitality. We all had a wonderful time at the program and, as always, delighted to be in the presence of Amma. I gave your gift to Amma and she was very happy to receive it. She said she will give it to the right person. Amma commented on the nice magical power that was impressed into the bracelet._

_I and all of us send you our Best Wishes and Most Kind Regards,_

_See you next year! (most likely)_

_signed,_

_Kongolo Baryamureeba_

_Sylvia Bozeman_

_Thyrsa Svagar_

_Harry Potter_

All then signed the letter and Kongolo folded it and left it on the large and elegant dining room table.

Thyrsa then said, "Uh, oh. Hold on, guys. I just thought of something. Harry doesn't have his scar and that means people will immediately start asking all kinds of questions. And a lot of those questions we definitely don't want to be dealing with just now. I was thinking we should cast a spell to create the appearance of his old scar."

The other three looked at each other and Sylvia breathed a sigh of relief. "I am very glad you thought of that, Thyrsa. You are exactly right. The whole school would quickly be talking about nothing else." Kongolo said, "Very good point. Thank you Thyrsa."

Thyrsa stepped in front of Harry and asked, "Ready?" Harry nodded yes and Thyrsa waved her wand at Harry's forehead while reciting a quick image creation spell. Soon a near exact replica of his old scar appeared. Harry held up his bangs and they all looked closely. "Looks good to me." Kongolo said. Sylvia agreed.

They then went to the fireplace and one by one, grabbed some floo powder, called out 'Hogwarts, Gryffindor Tower' and appeared back in the Gryffindor common area.

They regrouped, spoke for a few moments and all agreed for breakfast together before their afternoon naps.

~~~ end of chapter 8 ~~~


	9. Chapter 9

~o~o~o~

 **Disclaimer:** All recognizable characters and settings belong to J. K. Rowling.

~o~o~o~

**Chapter 9**

~o~o~o~

It was a little before 9 am when the four friends entered the Great Hall. A few groups of students were scattered around enjoying a late breakfast and chatting with friends. London had been cloudy but central Scotland was bright, sunny and quite cold.

Calyampudi Rao called out to the group, "Good morning, guys. Come join us if you want." The four of them joined Calyampudi, Karen Uhlenbeck and others. They settled in to the usual and wonderful Hogwarts breakfast.

Sylvia asked Karen, "How goes the greenhouse project?" Karen loved gardening and growing magical herbs of all types. She was exploring if a greenhouse could be made to work in the bitter cold of a central Scotland winter. She wanted to see and document how many magical warming spells were needed and to determine if it was worthwhile in this climate. She was also researching spells to magically increase the insulating power of the plastic sheeting. Karen had grown up partially in the muggle world and knew about what materials were available there that weren't in the wizarding world. Sylvia also had an interest in potions and herbology and the two of them happily chatted.

Harry, Thyrsa and Kongolo were asked about their night at the Amma program. The three of them shared about the experience but of course, left out some of the key details that needed to be kept secret for now. With Indian roots, Calyampudi was familiar with many aspects of what they experienced at the program.

His friend sitting next to him, Ruth Lawrence, had spent her whole life in the Wizarding world and knew very little about the muggle world. She was curious and asked lots of questions of the three of them.

Ruth was a good musician and was especially curious about the special drums or 'tablas' played by the bhajan performers. Ruth had never heard of those types of drums. Harry had a knack for basic rhythms and tried tapping on the table to recreate some of the tabla patterns he heard. Ruth watched and was fascinated. Afterwards she began a practice of learning how to drum with the fingers of both hands.

After breakfast Kongolo gathered the other three for a quick meeting away from other students. "Shall we meet tomorrow after breakfast? Say around 10 am outside the Hufflepuff common area? We can plan our next steps." They all agreed and went off to get cleaned up and sleep til the afternoon.

~o~o~o~

Dec 28th, 1996, Saturday morning.

At 10 am the next day they gathered at the designated area and went to a nearby staff lounge room. Upon entering and closing the door behind them, Thyrsa called out, "House elf, please." One immediately appeared and Thyrsa said, "Pots of tea and hot chocolate please. And no food, please." They were all pretty stuffed from breakfast. The House elf soon reappeared and set the items on the table in front of the plush sofa. The items included trays, the pots, cups, spoons, saucers and other items. The House elf disappeared again.

Kongolo and Thyrsa then took out their wands and put up some silencing charms and 'ignore this area' spells to assure some secrecy. Harry and Sylvia sat on the sofa while Thyrsa and Kongolo pulled up some comfortable padded chairs. Sylvia poured herself some hot chocolate and said, "I feel great. I went to bed around 9 pm and didn't get up til 7. Been a while since I slept that long. Was wonderful."

Harry said, "Needless to say I also slept great. As you can guess, since my Amma darshan, I've been feeling better than ever. It's a bit of an adjustment for me but a damn nice adjustment to be making."

Kongolo said, "So after 16 years the 'Boy Who Lived' can finally be called the 'Boy Who Lived Happily'?"

They all laughed and Harry lifted his teacup in salute to Kongolo, "You said it perfectly, my friend. Lord knows after what I've gone through in those 16 years, a little happiness is way overdue. Although relaxed may be an even better word than happiness. It's like going to sleep and waking up in a parallel universe where I'm no longer all knotted up inside and don't have that damn pain in my head. Now I know why Amma has so many devotees. I'm sure as bloody hell now _her_ lifelong devotee. Not sure how good a devotee I'll be, but I'll spend the rest of my days mentally thanking her."

Harry remembered Sylvia sharing her first darshan. He looked at her and asked, "I imagine you have some similar feelings?"

Sylvia replied, "Oi! You better believe it. Things are still tough in some ways; I mentioned that. But inside me it's very different, and that makes all the difference."

Kongolo said, "And now it seems that Amma wants to do something similar for Voldemort, as hard as that is to believe. But Amma loves everyone, no matter what. And it seems that old Voldy is just as much a child of Amma as the rest of us. Maybe I'm out of line saying this but Voldy has been a bit more naughty than Amma's other children."

They all laughed and Thyrsa exclaimed, "Just a bit!"

"Well," said Kongolo, "A good mother like Amma will only let her child be naughty for so long before she does something." He pulled the packet of vibhuti out of his pocket and placed it on the table. "And it looks like Amma is keen on doing something. And a good boss knows how to delegate, so it seems that the task has been delegated to us. Amma has placed her trust in us to carry it out. But, as Thyrsa said so beautifully yesterday, perhaps our main job is to let Amma work through us."

Kongolo then pulled a piece of folded parchment from one of the pockets in his robe. "Here's a draft of a letter to arrange the first meeting with Dumbledore. But before I read it, are there any issues or ideas to discuss?"

Harry said, "Yeah, one thing I'd like to share. Dumbledore is very good at detecting magic, even subtle magic. I'd like to try again and see if there's any magical aura on the packet." Kongolo agreed and pushed the packet to Harry who picked it up and held it in his palm for a few seconds. "Nothing I can detect." He handed it to Sylvia, "How 'bout you?" Sylvia held it, waited, and said, "Also nothing." She handed it to Thyrsa who also felt nothing; likewise with Kongolo.

Harry asked, "Is it wise for us to bring the packet to the first meeting? Dumbledore could make up some pretext to take it from us and decide not to use it. But, on the other hand, he may be able to detect some very subtle magic in it that would indeed have the potential of helping Voldy. And that would support our case. I'm one the fence on this one. Any ideas?"

Sylvia said, "If you don't bring it, and it turns out it's needed for some reason, you can always ask Dumbledore to adjust the wards around his office to allow you to use the 'Accio' spell. Then it would come right away." They all agreed this was the best approach.

"Anything else?" Kongolo asked.

Thyrsa said, "Be prepared for Dumbledore to see right through the little spell I cast to create the image of Harry's old scar. He'll start asking questions about that."

Kongolo said, "Oi, that's a good point. Considering how the scar was created when Voldy tried to blast you with an Avada Kadavra, who knows what the consequences are of Amma removing it? We all can easily guess that there was some kind of powerful magic, probably dark magic, connected to that scar, but I don't know if anyone knows exactly the details of that magic."

Harry said, "Some people suspect it was a horcrux, but that seems extremely unlikely because it takes a special really dark ritual to create one. They can't just happen spontaneously. Or at least as far as I know. Dumbledore probably knows a lot more than he's shared with me. And from all that I've heard, a horcrux in a living creature can _only_ be removed or destroyed by killing the creature. No other way. But, once again, Dumbledore knows a hell of a lot more than I do. So if Amma could effortlessly remove a horcrux without" Harry paused to dramatically pat himself around his body, "killing me, then clearly she has magical abilities way beyond even what Merlin could dream of. Think about that. So my feeling is it's not, or was not, a horcrux. But if Dumbledore notices that the scar is really gone, then I may finally get some answers I've been waiting for for a long, long time. And those answers could help us fulfill the task Amma has given us."

They all paused to absorb all the Harry had shared. Finally Thyrsa shared, "None of us has magic powerful enough to hide from Dumbledore the fact that Harry's scar is gone. So looks like that is out of our control. But we do have an option in that kind of situation..." Thyrsa paused dramatically.

Harry and Sylvia looked confused but Kongolo just gave a small laugh and said, "Of course, you're right."

Sylvia and Harry looked at each other with confused expressions, and then Sylvia asked, "You wanna fill us in?"

Kongolo smiled and explained, "In a sneaky way Thyrsa is just reminding us that in a situation where something is clearly beyond our control we just surrender and trust in Amma. Trust that she'll take care of it because she said she would."

Sylvia said, "Ahh, a very good reminder indeed. 10 points to House Hufflepuff! And a bonus hot chocolate!" Sylvia refilled Thyrsa's mug.

Harry smiled and said, "Maybe we should consider creating a 'House Amma'."

Kongolo said, "Well, Amma loves everyone, so everyone will be selected into it."

Sylvia said, "Sounds good to me. Maybe help to finally get rid of these awful house rivalries that cause so much trouble. Finally have a peaceful Hogwarts where I can walk around without fearing an ambush from a bunch of batty Slytherins. Although there are a few nice Slytherins, I have to admit that. And all those horrible Slytherins? We'll round 'em up in a big sack and drag 'em to Amma next year!"

Thyrsa smiled, "May take two sacks. But we'll shrink 'em down and tuck them away in a pouch for easy transport."

Harry said, "Be fun to see a bunch of nasty Slytherins getting showered with love, hugs and big smiles. Don't forget Snape! I'd pay 20 galleons to see him get an Amma hug!"

Thyrsa said, "Oi! That would be brilliant. Sign me up. If Snape actually smiled, do you think his head would explode?"

Sylvia laughed, "If it did just a bunch of bats would fly out and hang on the ceiling."

Kongolo smiled and said, "OK, before this gets totally out of control, here's the draft note I wrote for Dumbledore. Don't worry, it's pretty short. Here goes:

_'Dear Headmaster Dumbledore, Harry Potter and I have come across some information that may be helpful in our current difficult situation. We feel this information should be brought to the attention of senior staff. We request the pleasure of meeting with you at your convenience. Thank you for your kind consideration._

_Faithfully Yours,_

_Kongolo Baryamureeba and Harry James Potter'_ "

The other three thought for a moment and all agreed that it sounded good. "Good." said Kongolo. He got a quill from a House elf and he and Harry signed the parchment and touched their respective signatures with their individual magical imprints. Then Kongolo folded it, sealed it and requested the House elf to deliver it to Dumbledore's desk at 8 am tomorrow. "Gives us time to sleep and maybe work out other issues we haven't thought of."

Kongolo said, "Before we close up, any other issues to discuss?" None were raised. "Great, I'll let all of you know as soon as we hear from Dumbledore. Oh. One more thing; at this meeting with Dumbledore I'll request that you Sylvia and you Thyrsa are both present at the main meeting. Hopefully Dumbledore will agree. Thyrsa, you directly witnessed Harry's darshan and can corroborate what Harry shares. And Sylvia also had a powerful first darshan with Amma that could help impress on everyone that Amma is powerful _and_ coming from a place of only love."

They closed the meeting, finished the hot chocolate and most of the tea, removed the protection spells and called a House elf to retrieve the items. Then they left and closed the door behind them.

~~~ end of chapter 9 ~~~


	10. Chapter 10

~o~o~o~

 **Disclaimer:** All recognizable characters and settings belong to J. K. Rowling.

~o~o~o~

**Chapter 10**

~o~o~o~

Dec 29th, Sunday, 1996, morning

At around 11:30 am Kongolo was in the Hufflepuff common room seated in a comfortable chair and reading a textbook on magical creatures. He was preparing for next semester's classes. On the page he was reading was an animated illustration of a grindylow stalking and capturing its prey in a pond. A House elf popped in and handed him a folded piece of parchment saying, "This is for you, Master Kongolo." Kongolo recognized the elf, took the parchment and said, "Thank you, Innel." Innel replied, "Most welcome, Master Kongolo." and she left with a pop. Kongolo unfolded the parchment and read:

' _Head Boy of Hogwarts Mr. Kongolo, Please check with Mr. Potter if he can join you at my office today at 3 pm. Please confirm soonest. Regards, Headmaster Dumbledore.'_

Kongolo finished the last of his tea, put away his books and asked for a House elf to retrieve the empty cup. Soon he was knocking on the door of the Gryffindor common area. A young lady answered and Kongolo asked if Harry was there. She said he wasn't, but at this time of day he was sometimes in the dueling practice rooms.

Kongolo went to the dueling rooms and heard Harry before he saw him. He identified the particular room from the sounds and looked through the small window in the door to see Harry jumping, dodging, rolling and shooting his spells. Harry's opponent was a magically animated suit of clothes holding a wand. The opponent knew the full range of fighting and defensive spells, but because of the charms and spells cast on the dueling rooms, the power of its spells was limited so that a spell that would normally cause great harm would just give a painful sting. Same for the spells that Harry cast. Kongolo waited til Harry was finished with his dueling round. He looked again through the small window to see the animated suit of clothes standing on one side of the room and Harry seated on the floor catching his breath and letting his magical energy recover.

Kongolo knocked on the door and said, "Hey Harry, it's Kony." Harry looked toward the door and called back, "Hey, come on in."

Kongolo entered and as he did Harry gave a tired smile and said, "Got any pangloss pain potion on you?" Kongolo laughed and replied, "Sorry, no. Got a few bumps and bruises?" Harry grimaced as he adjusted his sitting posture, "Just a few. But that means I had a good workout, I suppose. Any word from Dumbledore?"

Kongolo pulled out the parchment from the Headmaster and read it out. Harry replied, "Yeah, 3 pm works for me. Where would you like to meet? The Gryffindor Tower is closer to Dumbledore's office. Meet there?"

Kongolo replied, "Perfect. See you then. Doing OK?"

Harry gave another smile and said, "Yeah, doing real good. Really liking this quiet time. I'm feeling more relaxed around the other students so I'm enjoying mealtimes and all the chit chat and gossip more than I have in the past."

Kongolo said, "With this big change inside, you may find your friendships will shift. Some friends you have now may fade out a bit and new friends may come in. If you notice things like that happening, don't worry, it's natural for anyone who's had some kind of inner transformation."

Harry said, "Yeah, I think you're right. I'm still just at the beginning of processing this change, but already I can sense that for a few friends, the new me may not connect as much as the old me did. Hopefully I can trust that the process will take care of itself and I won't have to worry." Harry paused. "Have you been through big changes yourself?"

Kongolo said, "Yeah. When I was younger and getting more and more into martial arts, I could see it was helping me to grow. My instructors were great and I was learning a lot about myself and learning how to be a lot more self reliant. Old friends dropped away and new friends came on board who better matched where I was. Some of my old friends weren't happy that I wasn't much interested in hanging out with them. Since I was young, I didn't really know how to talk about those things in a clear way. It was difficult. But getting new friends who matched where I was was really great."

Harry said, "Yeah. I think I'll be going through some similar stuff soon. A part of me wants to worry about it but I can see that's not helpful or useful. Like Thyrsa has reminded us, just trust and let Amma do the work. Feels good when I hold that thought in my mind."

Kongolo said, "Thyrsa's got a crazy sense of humor, but there's some good wisdom hiding underneath it."

Harry laughed, "She's cool. Never stops surprising me."

Kongolo gave a warm smile to his friend and rubbed his back.

Harry said, "Oh, before we go to Dumbledore let's do a quick check on the image spell that Thyrsa cast to make sure it's still working good." Harry lifted his bangs and asked, "Looking OK?"

Kongolo looked carefully and said, "Looks normal. Great. See you around 2:45 or so. Cheers."

~o~o~o~

Kongolo knocked on Dumbledore's office door and the familiar voice of the Headmaster called out, "Come in." as the door opened on it's own. Kongolo and Harry entered and absorbed the sights and sounds of all the little magical 'toys' scattered around Dumbledore's office. On one side the sinking winter sun shone brightly through the window. They both greeted the Headmaster.

As always when he visited Dumbledore, Fawkes flew down from his perch and landed on Kongolo's shoulder and delighted in gently moving his head through Kongolo's puffball afro. Kongolo pulled a packet of dried fruit from his pocket, opened it and fed some pieces to the delighted and ever hungry phoenix. Kongolo always brought fruit when he went to Dumbledore's office.

They seated themselves in comfortable chairs and Kongolo said, "Thank you, Headmaster, for agreeing to meet with us. As I mentioned in my note, Harry and I have some information that may be helpful in our struggle with Voldemort. I'm aware that what I say is a big statement. Harry and I have discussed this and we both feel that, ideally, we would present all the details at a meeting of the senior staff here and other senior people involved in the struggle. I know you have questions, so, if you will allow me, I can provide some information about what we've found out."

As Kongolo was speaking Dumbledore's attention turned away from Kongolo to Harry. Dumbledore stood up, walked around his desk and took a seat near Harry. Dumbledore then looked at him closely for a moment and asked, "Harry, could you lift your bangs for a moment?"

Harry traded glances with Kongolo and then did as he was instructed. Kongolo saw that Thyrsa's image spell was working and it appeared that Harry's former scar was still there. Dumbledore looked closely at his forehead. Then he pulled out his wand and placed it near where Harry's real scar used to be. He moved it slightly around for a moment and then put it back in it's holster. It seemed to Harry and Kongolo that Dumbledore was doing his best to maintain a neutral expression.

Dumbledore asked Harry, "How do you feel?"

Inside Harry smiled at the familiar question, but he decided not to let on that he knew what Dumbledore had probably just discovered, so he simply replied, "I'm feeling good, thank you Headmaster."

Dumbledore looked at Harry again for a moment and then returned to his chair. He leaned back, looked toward the wall and looked thoughtful. The room was quiet for a while. Then he swiveled his chair back around to face his two visitors.

Dumbledore said, "I was certainly intrigued when I received your note, Kongolo. You are someone in whom I place my trust, so I know you would not make such assertions lightly. Please share what you can."

"Thank you, Headmaster." Kongolo said, "Two years ago my parents took to meet an Indian saint named Amma at a large event in London. I think you're familiar with the tradition of many well known saints and holy people being born in India?"

Dumbledore said, "Yes, very much so. When I was much younger I spent some time traveling around the world and that included India and spending time with the Indian Wizarding community. A wonderful community with a very deep and rich history, but very traditional in many ways. I had many long and fascinating discussions with some of the senior Indian wizards and witches, including discussions about the amazing holy persons who seem to appear on a very regular basis there. They took me to visit some of them and their particular magic was remarkable. Much different from the magic that you and I are familiar with, but equally powerful in its own way, or maybe even more powerful."

Dumbledore paused to drink some tea.

"Our magic is primarily a neutral energy that we can use how we wish, for good or for evil. But that's not the case with the holy persons I met there. Their magic had a clear intelligence and higher purpose. It was almost like what made these holy persons holy was that they surrendered their ego to the divine will of their magic. And the more they surrendered their egos, the more strongly this 'divine' magic, for lack of a better word, would move through them. And this divine magic had the intention to help people discover deeper aspects of themselves; aspects beyond the everyday ego. It was not a 'general purpose' magic to be used for whatever purpose desired."

"What was also interesting is that it was almost always muggles who were most deeply connected with this divine magic. So I would call it the muggle version of magic. But it seems that, except for India, it's exceedingly rare for a muggle to get deeply connected with this divine magic in a powerful way. For a brief period while I was there I engaged in some of the spiritual practices they taught me, and it helped me connect more deeply with my magical core. And it was one of the things that helped me to clarify the direction I wanted to go in my life. It has been many, many years since I've thought about my time in India. It was a very fruitful time."

Kongolo listened with pleasant surprise. He then said, "Ah, that is wonderful to hear. You yourself have some direct experience with all of this so you'll be in a good position to understand what I'll be sharing. Before I met Amma in the winter of 1994, I had only a very limited knowledge of India and it's spiritual traditions. So my parents took me to meet Amma. Each Indian saint is unique and what makes Amma unique is that her main gift is to give a hug and divine blessings to everyone who comes to her. Nowadays many thousands of people come to see her so needless to say Amma spends _a lot_ of time giving hugs. Sometimes 10 or 12 hours at a time. So in 94 I got my first hug and it was a very remarkable experience; it caused me to feel a strong connection with her."

Kongolo paused and said, "I've actually got a small picture of Amma that she blessed for me. I can show it to you."

He pulled a small laminated picture out of his pocket and handed it across the desk to Dumbledore. As he did Fawkes jumped off his shoulder and landed on the desk, sliding a little on the piles of paperwork, then leaning in to closely look at the picture in Dumbledore's hand. Then he spread his wings, glowed a bright fiery orange and red and trilled a wondrous phoenix song. The room filled with a deep feeling of joy. Dumbledore closed his eyes during the song, opened them when it was over and looked at Amma's picture. Then he closed his eyes and felt the blessing energy that Amma had impressed in it. After a few moments he handed it back to Kongolo.

Fawkes flew back to Kongolo's shoulder. Then Dumbledore said, "That was truly remarkable. I've never seen Fawkes react in such a manner. Fawkes is a creature of pure magic and light, and clearly he sees something similar in Amma. And I can also feel some of that blessing energy in the picture." Dumbledore paused. "Kongolo, please continue with what you were saying."

"Then in 1995, last year, my parents, Sylvia Bozeman, Marcus duSautoy and I visited Amma, and had a wonderful time. Then this past Thursday morning at breakfast Sylvia and I shared about our experiences with Amma to Harry and Thyrsa. Amma's now in London and Sylvia and I had already planned to see Amma that evening. Harry and Thyrsa decided to join us, and we were happy to have them come along."

Kongolo turned to Harry, "Would you like to share what happened when you met Amma?"

"Sure." said Harry, "There were a lot of people there so we didn't get our hugs til about 2:30 in the morning. So it was finally my turn. Amma pulled me into her arms for a hug and then, at one point, she leaned back and looked closely at my forehead."

Dumbledore interrupted, "Since you were among muggles, I'm guessing your scar was hidden with a spell?"

Harry replied, "Yes, Headmaster. I don't go out among muggles very often, but when I do I always cover it to be on the safe side."

Dumbledore said, "A good thing to do, please continue."

Harry said, "So Amma was looking carefully at my forehead, then she leaned forward and gave me a kiss right where my scar was hidden. She leaned back, looked at me again, and gave me another kiss in the same place. The second time I felt a big pain in my head that lasted for a few seconds and then disappeared. Then Amma gave me a small packet of grey powder called vibhuti and, through her translator..."

Dumbledore interrupted, "So this Amma doesn't speak English?"

Kongolo said, "Well, it's more nuanced than that. Amma can understand and speak perfect English when she wants, but much of the time, for her own reasons, she pretends not to know much English."

Dumbledore nodded and then asked, "Vibhuti?"

Kongolo replied, "It's the ash from burnt wood that's made in a special ritual and filtered to a very fine powder. It's considered sacred and is often used as a medicine." Dumbledore nodded again.

Harry continued, "So Amma gives me this small packet of vibhuti and says something to her translator. The translator then says to me: 'Amma says give this to 'Tom Riddle'; it will help him feel better.' Needless to say I was very very surprised to hear this."

This time Dumbledore couldn't hide his surprise. He could tell with near certainty that Harry was telling the truth, and that he was not under an Imperius curse or anything like that.

Dumbledore then asked Kongolo, "You were there at this time?" Kongolo replied, "I was sitting a few chairs back, so I didn't see everything. Thyrsa Svagar, who also joined us, was seated right next to Harry; she saw the whole thing up close."

Dumbledore leaned back in his chair and again looked thoughtful for a while. The room again got quiet. Then he returned his attention to his two visitors and said, "Normally at this point I would exclaim, 'How in the world can this Indian lady know anything about Riddle?! Much less that Riddle does indeed need a lot of 'help'?'. But, as I've shared, I've met a few of these holy people. And I know from direct experience that, in some ways their magic is beyond what we wizards and witches can even dream of." He paused. "I presume you have this packet of vibhuti hidden in a safe place?"

Kongolo said, "Yes, Headmaster."

Dumbledore then asked, "Did you detect any magic signature or emanations from this packet?"

Kongolo replied, "No, Headmaster. All four of us checked it and we couldn't detect anything magical. But, of course, our sensitivity will not be anything close to that of a fully trained wizard or witch."

Dumbledore asked, "Could you call it here?" Again Kongolo and Harry traded glances and Kongolo said, "Yes, Headmaster."

Dumbledore nodded for Kongolo to do so.

Kongolo held out his hand, visualized the packet in his mind and said, "Accio!". The packet appeared in a small flash of light and dropped in his right palm. As soon as it did, Fawkes jumped off Kongolo's shoulder and onto his right forearm, leaned down and gently touched the packet with his beak. Then he stood upright, spread his wings, glowed with a bright fiery light and again sang and trilled the most beautiful phoenix song. All three of them were transfixed, staring at Fawkes with their hearts filled with a transcendent joy. After a moment the singing concluded and the three were quiet for a while absorbing and relishing the joy that again filled the room. Fawkes then returned to Kongolo's shoulder.

Dumbledore just stared at Fawkes for a few moments, then quietly said, "Remarkable. I think I may need to meet this Amma for myself."

He then reached out his hand for the packet. Dumbledore held it and closed his eyes and was silent. Then he breathed deeply a few times and opened his eyes. Then he said, "There's a very subtle magical energy here. Or, it may be very strong, but I'm just not attuned to this other kind of magic. I see that you've put a few protective spells on it. May I add a few?"

Harry and Kongolo looked briefly at each other. Kongolo said, "Yes, please, Headmaster. That would be great." Dumbledore then retrieved his wand and waved it over the packet, applying spells. Then he gave it back to Kongolo.

Dumbledore looked at both of his visitors and said, "As you can well imagine, there are many, many more questions I could ask at this time. But I need to think about a few things and properly absorb what I've experienced here." For a few seconds he looked at Fawkes happily perched on Kongolo's shoulder. Then he continued, "As you rightly suggested, I'll arrange a meeting with the senior wizards and witches. When the time is set I'll notify both of you. I would like Sylvia and Thyrsa to also attend, just in case."

Harry said, "Yes, Headmaster. We'll be ready when you are."

Dumbledore replied, "Good. I need not mention this, but please treat this matter with utmost secrecy. Please pass that on to Sylvia and Thyrsa. As you both know, there are people in and around Hogwarts who are not on the side of Light. By some miracle, Amma may have given us a means of ending this terrible conflict and the dreadful threat to Hogwarts and our well-being. We three just now have seen the power of Amma's light. I feel we've only seen a small part; and that stokes the fires of hope in my heart that were dimming. Thank you both for bringing this to my attention. And to Fawkes' attention. There are times when his wisdom exceeds mine, and times when I am his student. Today is such a time."

Kongolo gave a few more pieces of dried fruit to the bright phoenix. Then Harry reached over to gently stroke his head and neck, causing Fawkes to close his eyes in pleasure. They stood and Fawkes flew back to his perch. Harry and Kongolo said their farewells to Dumbledore and left.

The door closed by itself as they walked away down the hall. Inside, Dumbledore leaned back, gazed at Fawkes for a while, and then at the golden orange sun setting in the west. He thought of Fawkes as a sun that never set.

~o~o~o~

After dinner, Harry and Kongolo located Thyrsa and Sylvia. They found a quiet room and Harry and Kongolo shared all the details from the meeting with Dumbledore. As expected, Thyrsa and Sylvia were amazed to hear of Fawkes' reactions, and on hearing that Dumbledore himself actually long ago had some direct interactions with the Indian Wizarding community and with some holy people of India.

Also Thyrsa and Sylvia were very pleased that Dumbledore wanted them at the meeting. Later on that evening Thyrsa wrote down all her memories of seeing Harry get his first Amma darshan.

~~~ end of chapter 10 ~~~


	11. Chapter 11

~o~o~o~

 **Disclaimer:** All recognizable characters and settings belong to J. K. Rowling.

~o~o~o~

**Chapter 11**

~o~o~o~

30 Dec, 1996, Monday morning.

At 10:30 am each of the four friends received a notice by House elf to attend a meeting at Dumbledore's office at 3 pm. The four friends traded messages through House elves and all agreed to meet at the Gryffindor Tower at 2:45 pm.

~o~o~o~

Before leaving his room, Kongolo retrieved the vibhuti packet from it's hiding place and stashed it in his pocket. Outside the Hufflepuff common area he met up with Thyrsa and they both headed toward Gryffindor Tower.

They arrived to find Sylvia and Harry waiting outside and the four of them went to Dumbledore's Office. As they were approaching the door it opened by itself and let them in. Inside the room they found Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Amelia Bones, Shacklebolt and Alastor Moody. Dumbledore's office had magically expanded to make plenty of room for all the attendees.

The four friends politely greeted Dumbledore and all the other senior wizards and witches. There were four comfortable chairs waiting for them and they took their seats. Fawkes flew over to perch on Kongolo's shoulder. Beside each chair was a small table for tea, hot chocolate and biscuits.

Dumbledore spoke, "Thank you all for coming to this meeting. Recently Harry and his friends met with a truly remarkable person that all of you will learn about at this meeting. I have met some remarkable wizards and witches in my life, but now, indirectly through Harry, I think I've met the most remarkable one of all by far. And this person is most likely a muggle with no inborn magic of the kind we here are all familiar with, but rather filled with a magic of a very different kind, as we'll learn. As they tell their stories I've no doubt all of you will have many questions, but please save them until later, as many of those questions will be answered as they share their experiences. But first, as background, I want to share about my experiences long ago in Magical India. I haven't shared about these experiences in many decades because there was no real need. But now it's quite relevant." Dumbledore then related what he had shared two days earlier with Harry and Kongolo.

The other wizards and witches were a little surprised to hear about Dumbledore's adventures in Magical India. They had no idea about the existence and power of this muggle 'spiritual magic'. A number of them made mental notes to research this further. This was something important that the wizarding community should have been aware of and studying many hundreds of years ago.

Dumbledore said, "Now I would like Mr. Kongolo to share his background with meeting the very remarkable person I shared about earlier." He held his hand out to Kongolo indicating for him to share.

Kongolo shared about first meeting Amma, his experiences then, and then about how he and his three friends went to meet Amma a few days ago.

Dumbledore said, "Thank you Mr. Kongolo. Now I would like to share a memory of my own from that recent meeting with Mr. Potter and Mr. Kongolo."

Dumbledore waved his wand and a pensieve floated out to the middle of the room. Dumbledore walked over to it, closed his eyes for a moment, touched his wand to his forehead then slowly pulled it away withdrawing silvery cloudy threads which he placed in the shallow pensieve. Then he requested everyone to gather around the pensieve to experience his memory. The pensieve magically expanded allowing all of them to comfortably put their heads in to see.

The memory began with Kongolo saying:

_"So my parents took me to meet Amma…_

Then everyone saw Dumbledore's memory of Kongolo pulling the little picture of Amma out of his pocket and handing it to him. Then they saw Fawkes' reaction. Even though it was a pensieve memory, all of them felt the full power and beauty of Fawkes' song and saw the glory of his spread wings and fiery glow. Then the memory ended with Kongolo saying:

_...and we were happy to have them come along."_

Everyone lifted their heads, still feeling the glow of joy from Fawkes' glorious display. Everyone was well aware of Fawkes' profound nature and of the deep significance of what they had just seen.

Dumbledore said, "I know some of you may have questions, but first I'd like Harry to share his memory about his encounter with Amma. Harry, could you step up to the pensieve?"

Harry did so. He pulled out his wand, closed his eyes and selected the memory. Then, just as Dumbledore did, he touched his wand to his forehead, pulled out the memories and carefully placed them in the pensieve.

All the others then put their faces into the bowl and experienced the memory. The memory ended with Harry taking a seat at the back of the stage behind Amma.

When everyone raised their heads, 3 or 4 of the senior witches and wizards immediately started asking questions at once. Dumbledore raised his hand and said, "Please, please! We will discuss all your questions, I promise. Harry, please come here for a moment and raise your bangs." Dumbledore pulled out his wand and placed it near Harry's forehead and whispered a quick spell. The fake image of his scar disappeared leaving only his forehead without any scar or markings.

Once again there were some gasps and a flurry of questions. Dumbledore again settled them down. "Now please remain standing as there's one more memory I wish to share. You all saw Amma give Harry the vibhuti packet. Now here is one of my memories related to that. It's from the same meeting." Dumbledore again used his wand to retrieve the memory and place it in the pensieve. The memory began with Dumbledore asking:

_"You were there at this time?"_

The memory then showed Fawkes' similar reaction to seeing the vibhuti packet. Everyone again felt the powerful, joyful glow of Fawkes' song and appearance. Then the memory ended with Dumbledore saying:

_"Today is such a time."_

Dumbledore then indicated for everyone to take their seats. He waved his wand and the pensieve bowl shrunk back to its normal size and returned to it's customary place.

Then he said, "Now what I'd like to do is pass around the Amma picture and the vibhuti packet so all of you can feel their magical emanations."

McGonagall and Snape were sitting next to each other. Dumbledore gave the packet to McGonagall and indicated she should pass it one direction. He then gave the picture to Snape indicating he should pass it the other direction. All of the wizards and witches present experienced the emanations from both items as they made their way around the circle. Then the packet and picture were placed on a corner of Dumbledore's desk.

Dumbledore then asked Harry, "In order to verify the memory, would you be willing to take veritaserum if someone here requested you to do so?"

Harry replied, "Yes, Headmaster, that would be no problem."

Dumbledore then asked the group, "Does anyone feel that Harry should take veritaserum to verify his memory?" No one spoke up. after a moment Snape said, "In my mind, Fawkes' reaction to the picture and the packet is as good as, or better than veritaserum." This was met with agreement from the others.

Dumbledore then looked at Thyrsa and asked, "Did what you see in the pensieve match your memory of what you saw at the event?" She replied, "Yes, Headmaster."

Dumbledore then said, "I know you're bursting with questions, so let's go around starting with Alastor." Dumbledore indicated that Alastor Moody had the floor.

In his gruff voice, Alastor asked, "How in the world does this Amma even know about the existence of Riddle? You said that Amma travels around the world. Does Amma have some connections with the Magical community in Britain? Kongolo, you have any idea?"

Kongolo replied, "I genuinely have no idea. I've met Amma three times but have not had anything at all like a conversation with her. Like everyone else, she gives me a quick hug and that's about it. Mind you I find those hugs to be totally wonderful, but they're quick. Now it is true that people ask her questions all the time. Sometimes she'll answer, sometimes she just ignores the question. Anyone here is totally welcome to go meet Amma and ask her any question you want. Whether or not she'll give you and answer, well, no one knows. She's in London now so you can meet her tomorrow if you want. Or even tonight."

Dumbledore said, "To respond to your question about how Amma knows about Tom Riddle, my experience, as I mentioned earlier, is that this muggle 'spiritual magic' is much more powerful in some ways than wizarding magic. With that kind of magic, I think Amma can effortlessly do many things that we here couldn't even dream of."

Shacklebolt was next. He said to Harry, "I don't know if you're aware of this, but as far as we could determine, when Voldy attacked you in your crib, his dark magic somehow made you into one of his horcruxes."

Harry was surprised. He interrupted and said, "My understanding has always been that horcruxes can only get made using a dark ritual. Are you sure I was really a horcrux?"

Dumbledore said, "Yes, you were a horcrux. I confirmed it shortly after you were attacked by Voldemort. We chose not to tell you because that kind of knowledge could easily warp the mind in all kinds of negative ways, especially for a young person growing up and developing their sense of identity. We don't know if it was the right choice, but we felt it was best. And I confirmed at our last meeting that all traces of that horcrux are gone."

Shacklebolt continued, speaking to Harry, "And as I'm sure you know a living horcrux can only be destroyed by also destroying the host. Many powerful wizards and witches have researched this through the centuries, and there was no way around that fact. And now Amma, in the space of a few seconds, effortlessly removed your horcrux, as Dumbledore himself confirmed. Speaking for myself I find that incredibly hard to believe, but here you are, sitting right in front of us perfectly healthy and free of any trace of the horcrux. So I'm keenly interested to know how that was done. But I believe that, for now at least, Dumbledore's answer to the earlier question about how she knew about Riddle, will have to suffice."

Dumbledore said to Harry, "It should be said that in spite of being a horcrux and all the difficulties you had with the Dursley's and here at Hogwarts, you came through all of that with a good character and good sense of self. I think there's only a very few people with your remarkable strength of character who could have survived all that and come through to the other end healthy and sane."

Sylvia, who was seated next to Harry, put her arm around his shoulder and said, "Healthy, sane _and_ wonderful." Harry smiled and felt a glow inside. Thyrsa squeezed Harry's hand.

Harry said to the group, "Since Amma removed the horcrux, I'm feeling better than I ever have. I feel I've emerged from a dark fog into a beautiful sunny day. I know that sounds trite, but it's the best way I can describe it."

Dumbledore said to the group, "To follow up on what Shacklebolt was saying, I think we're in agreement we simply don't know how Amma does what she does. We'll explore such questions at future meetings. So here's a summary of what we do know now. Amma knows about Tom Riddle. Amma knows he needs help, which is a big understatement. Amma detected Harry's horcrux within seconds of meeting him. Amma can effortlessly remove horcruxes from a living creature, something even our most powerful wizards and witches have never been able to do. Amma gave Harry a packet of seemingly non-magical ash that can 'help' Voldemort,"

Dumbledore paused to indicate the small packet resting on his table. "and we don't really know what 'help' means in this case. And Amma's picture and packet both elicited a truly remarkable response from Fawkes."

Dumbledore then turned to McGonagall, "Minerva, what would you like to say?"

McGonagall put down her cup of tea and spoke to Kongolo, "Mr. Kongolo, you here have the most experience with Amma. What do you think Amma meant by 'help' Voldemort?"

Kongolo looked thoughtful for a moment and replied, "Keep in mind anything I say will only be an educated guess, but I think that, if he takes it, the vibhuti will cause Voldemort to longer be a threat to anyone. Anything I say beyond that will just be speculation."

McGonagall then said, "Thyrsa? Sylvia? Harry? You all have met this Amma. Your thoughts on this question?"

The three spoke quietly between themselves for a moment and then Sylvia said, "We agree with what Kongolo said. I will add that my clear feeling is the vibhuti will not harm or kill Voldemort." The other three added their agreement to this.

McGonagall sipped some tea and said, "Considering Fawkes' true nature and his reaction to the Amma picture and the packet, it is very clear, to me at least, that Sylvia is correct; this... 'vibhuti' you call it?" Kongolo nodded. "This vibhuti will not harm Voldemort."

McGonagall then said, "If Voldemort does take it, I see two scenarios. Either his warped mind remains but his magic disappears, making him mostly harmless. The other scenario is that the vibhuti somehow cures his warped mind and he becomes a more normal wizard with a harmless personality."

Snape said, "Regarding scenario one, normally I would say there's no way ever been found to fully erase someone's magic without killing them, but it seems that, with this Amma, we're dealing with something way outside our knowledge."

Moody said, "So the big question is; how to get Voldy to take the vibhuti? Now at first glance it seems completely ridiculous to me to think that anyone could persuade him to take it. Snape, you've spent the most time with him, any ideas?"

Snape looked thoughtful for a moment. "His main sources of nourishment are some special potions that he makes himself and no one else, not even Bellatrix. As far as I know, no one else knows the recipes. Also he will occasionally milk venom from Nagini and drink that. I've heard that he sometimes drinks the blood of animals or humans, but those are just rumors as far as I know. I've never seen him drink tea or take any normal food. Bellatrix is the one closest to him, but there's no way to ask her about this. Now could I somehow slip it into his potions...?" Snape paused to look upward and think for a moment. "Honestly I can't see how to do it. That doesn't mean it can't be done. I'm open to suggestions. And I'll think about it more."

At that point the small packet floated upwards a few inches and began to glow brightly. Also a multi-tonal low hum filled the room; like many people humming a few harmonious notes. Fawkes joined the humming with his own song. There was a brief flash of even brighter light, but with a brightness that didn't overwhelm the eyes. The brightness faded and sitting on the desk was a small potions vial with a label and sealed cork stopper. The vial was sitting on a small folded piece of parchment that had not been there earlier.

Fawkes landed on the desk, carefully moved his beak toward the vial and gently touched the folded parchment. He then stretched himself upwards and offered a beautiful song that thrilled everyone's hearts before returning to Kongolo's shoulder. There was silence in the room for a while.

Kongolo fed him another piece of dried fruit.

They all looked at the vial and parchment. Dumbledore pulled out his wand and waved it over them both. He put his wand back in it's holster, picked up the vial and read the label. Then he looked up and simply said in a near whisper, "Oh, dear." Then he floated the vial to Potions Master Snape who also held it up to read. Snape gave a small gasp and whispered, "Not possible."

Shacklebolt looked at both of them, "How bad is it? Is this something dangerous?"

Snape placed the vial back on Dumbledore's desk and said, "Before we answer that let's read the note that came with it." Dumbledore moved his hand and the parchment rose up and unfolded before him. The words were written in a childlike but legible cursive script. He read it out loud to the group:

_"My Darling Children of Hogwarts,_

_This medicine will help my darling child Tom Riddle. Please give it to him. For this medicine to work, the Hogwarts staff here must all make an Unbreakable Vow to try and destroy all the dementors in Azkeban after Tom takes the medicine. And to try and destroy any dementors you may encounter in the future._

_Love you all my darling children! Kiss kiss kiss kiss._

_Amma"_

Fawkes trilled a short glorious song and became quiet. There was silence in the room for a few moments. Then Moody said while looking around the room, "Did Amma's magic just get through the wards of Hogwarts? And get through the wards around this office? And we all agree that Hogwarts and especially this office is likely the most heavily warded place on this planet?"

Dumbledore said, "As I mentioned earlier, all those many years ago in India, I saw things that were way beyond impossible with any magic I knew of. So I would say yes, that did just happen. And for Amma it was as easy as you and I picking up a quill."

Moody shook his head and said, "Just imagine a Dark Soul getting that kind of magic." He shuddered.

"From all that I've seen and heard," Dumbledore said, "Anything Dark simply cannot access that kind of magic. It goes against a central law of creation. And thank goodness for that."

McGonagall said, "At the risk of making a massive understatement, there's a lot to discuss about that letter. But could you first tell us about that potion?"

Snape and Dumbledore looked at each other for a moment. Dumbledore gave a very slight nod and Snape spoke, "That potion is labeled 'Religaux Essentium". It means roughly to 'reconnect the essence'. In spite of it's innocuous name, it is one of the darkest potions imaginable. It is for Dark Souls like Voldemort who have split their souls into various horcruxes. The making of the potion involves a dark ritual to gather soul fragments from living humans so the Dark Soul can regain some of their wholeness in spite of the horcruxes. I will not go into how it is made. The instructions for the potion exist only in a very small number of very old textbooks. Many potion masters believe it to be merely a myth or legend and not real. Over the years, through dark means, Voldemort has found some of these mythical texts. One or two of the ingredients for this potion is exceedingly rare, and the potion is very difficult to make."

Snape floated the vial to himself and looked again at the label and the wax seal below the stopper. He closed his eyes and held his fingers close to the seal. Then he said, "The seal has the magical signature of a very skilled potions maker deep in the jungles of Laos. None of you except Moody would have ever heard of him. He's extremely secretive and discreet, specializing in dark potions and getting paid handsomely for his work. As we all know, magical signatures cannot be faked."

Snape paused and handed the vial to Moody and said, "Alastor, could you look closely at the glass and see if it matches the potions master I'm referring to?"

Alastor held the vial very close to his magical eye which became still. After a few seconds, he handed the vial back to Snape saying, "Matches perfectly; color, micro air bubble patterns, glass impurities and the details on the label all match. I'm seeing Amma as soon as possible, if she can do magic like this."

Snape continued, "Each advanced potion master uses unique glassware that is also essentially impossible to fake. Voldemort knows all of this better than I do as he is a supremely skilled potions master himself. In my opinion there is no way that Voldemort could detect this as a fake. And he is desperate for this potion, and has instructed his Death Eaters to be on the lookout for it. If I were to give it to him, he would go to great lengths to verify it's authenticity. And now that I've experienced the depth of Amma's magic, I am certain he would find it to be fully genuine."

Snape paused again to hold his fingers close to the vial. Then he said, "Another remarkable finding. Normally when a strong wizard touches something, they leave a subtle magical fingerprint. But I'm not detecting Dumbledore's fingerprints here at all. Remarkable. It appears that Amma has covered every detail. And considering Fawkes' reaction to the potion, I am 100% certain it will 'help' Voldemort in a way that is positive and serves the Light. Fawkes would not react that way to a potion made from even the slightest hint of a dark ritual."

Shacklebolt asked Snape, "What is the best way to give this to Voldemort?"

Snape said, "In normal situations, I would get such a potion through established underground channels that Voldemort is also aware of. I would tell Voldemort which channel I used and, sometimes, he would give me some veritaserum to verify. Sometimes he's satisfied by just verifying the magical aspects of the bottle. In this situation, I will do the same. If he gives me the serum and I will mention a particular active channel that he is aware of."

McGonagall said with amazement, "So you would trust that Amma's magic would override the veritaserum and allow you to mention the channel?"

Snape replied, "Based on what I've seen in the last half hour, absolutely. No doubt. It is not really a matter of faith, but in simply believing what my own eyes have seen."

Everyone looked at Snape with some amazement and newfound respect.

Snape said, "I will have to consider the best time and place to give it to him. Occasionally he goes to his castle in Romania to rejuvenate and make more of his required potions. He feels safe there so would likely want to take such a powerful potion at that location. Lucius and others usually keep me posted on Voldemort's movements. And Voldemort sometimes has Death Eater meetings at this location."

Shacklebolt said, "Let us know when you think is the best time. Oh! I just thought of something. Will Voldemort be able to feel that Harry's horcrux is gone?"

Snape looked at Shacklebolt and said, "That is a very good point. I should have mentioned it. Under normal conditions, yes. A horcrux is part of his own soul after all. But... I'm sure one of you can finish my sentence."

McGonagall smiled and said, "But, in this case, Amma's magic will prevent him from noticing." Snape just offered a slight smirk and nodded.

Snape then said, "Voldemort would have felt it immediately and called an emergency meeting of Death Eaters because the loss of the horcrux would mean that Harry died, and that massively changes the game. But no such thing has happened."

McGonagall said to the group, "Seems to me the next major item on the list is the Unbreakable Vow that Amma requested. I for one would love to see all dementors at Azkeban destroyed, and I think all of us here feel the same. But the Wizengamot, as it stands now, would never allow it. Even if we all here did make the Vow, we would never be able to carry it out."

Moody said, "Remember, the Wizengamot will in all likelihood come under our control right after Voldemort is 'helped' by Amma's potion. He will be powerless in some fashion or another. And his Death Eaters will no longer be a threat. He is the power behind the Dark faction that now controls the Wizengamot. When he's out of the picture, the Dark faction will dissolve. Many if not most of the Death Eaters will immediately flee and hide under far away rocks to escape justice. The Wizengamot will then be controlled by the Light faction and will be able to quickly pass a resolution to destroy those damn dementors. Along with many other resolutions that desperately need passage."

McGonagall thought for a moment and said, "Yes, that is true. If Voldemort becomes powerless, the whole house of cards around him will crumble immediately."

Shacklebolt said, "Not to rain on anyone's parade, but no one knows how to destroy a dementor. But, Amma didn't request that we destroy them, only that we 'try'. So we make our Vows, think of the best plan to destroy them and make our best faith effort to put it into action. And let Amma do the rest."

Dumbledore said, "I for one am happy to make that Vow if it will set in motion the events that lead to their destruction."

Thyrsa said, "I have a feeling Amma won't let them be destroyed in the way you're thinking, but rather has other plans. We may be surprised."

Shacklebolt said, "Similar to what Snape said, based on the last half hour, I'm preparing myself to be continually surprised by Amma." He looked around the group and asked, "Any issues that we've missed?"

Dumbledore said, "One small thing." He spoke to Snape, "I presume we will entrust Amma's potion vial to you?" Snape replied, "Yes, I'll put it in a safe place." Snape took out his wand and conjured a small wooden box with a soft padded interior shaped for the vial. He placed it in the box, sealed the lid, shrunk it down in size and placed it in his pocket.

They all looked at each other and no other issues were raised.

Dumbledore said to the group, "Shall we make the vow?"

Snape, McGonagall, Moody and Shacklebolt joined Dumbledore in pointing their wands to the center of their circle. Dumbledore said, "In witness to the Spirit of Hogwarts and the Four Founders, we hereby Vow to follow the instructions of Amma's note." Dumbledore touched the note with his wand and it briefly flashed with light, then he looked at Shacklebolt to his right. Shacklebolt nodded and said, "I accept this Vow." A small ball of light went from the tip of his wand and floated in the center. Then McGonagall repeated the statement and her ball of light merged with the one in the center. This was repeated with Snape, Moody and, finally, Dumbledore. When Dumbledore's ball of light merged into the center it suddenly flashed brightly and dissipated. The Vow was complete.

Dumbledore looked at Kongolo and said, "It appears that your meeting with Amma in 1994 may have set off a chain of events that will change the course of history for Magical Britain. And it will be a much better course, from what we've seen so far. All of us thank all of you for bringing this information to us."

The other staff members also expressed their thanks to four students.

Dumbledore said, "It goes without saying that all of this must be kept strictly secret for now. Is that understood?" The four students expressed their understanding.

McGonagall said to Harry, "You will need to keep an image of your scar until it is safe to reveal the truth to your fellow students. Could you hold up your bangs, please? Harry did so and she waved her wand near Harry's forehead. An image of his scar reappeared just like the original.

Moody said to the group, "I propose we have a meeting before too long to discuss the consequences of what we've learned today. I also propose that, before that meeting, all of us go to meet Amma to experience directly her magical field. It seems that for hundreds of years or longer we in this Magical community have been unaware of a very different type of magic much stronger than we've known. It's clear there's much for us to learn. Living with our heads hidden underneath a blanket does a grave disservice to the gifts of Magic and to the spirit of Merlin and the four Founders of Hogwarts. Hogwarts is fundamentally a place of learning and exploration. It is our duty to live up to that imperative for our sakes. And, more importantly, for the sake of the students entrusted to our care."

McGonagall said, "Beautifully said, Alastor. I heartily agree. If you know others who may be open to seeing Amma let them know of this opportunity. And, as part of that meeting, we'll want to explore connecting with Magical India because of what we've learned from Dumbledore about them. Oh. I just remembered. When she returns from her mission in Wales, let's brief Amelia Bones on all that we've learned."

Dumbledore said, "Thanks to all of you for attending this meeting. Please keep me posted on your plans to visit Amma, if I'm available I'll join you." Dumbledore looked at the four students and thanked them again for their presence. They all stood up and Kongolo retrieved the small Amma picture from the desk and returned it to his pocket. It was about 4:30 pm and the four of them decided to go to the Great Hall for some afternoon tea and snacks.

~~~ end of chapter 11 ~~~


	12. Chapter 12

~o~o~o~

 **Disclaimer:** All recognizable characters and settings belong to J. K. Rowling.

~o~o~o~

**Chapter 12**

~o~o~o~

They sat down at a table in the nearly empty Hall and some House elves brought them tea, hot chocolate and biscuits. Sylvia said, "Wow, that went brilliant as far as I can see. I had no idea they would be so open to learning about Amma. Especially Snape. He's usually quite mule headed, but he clocked on to what Amma was all about almost as good as Dumbledore."

Harry said, "Well, like he said, the evidence was getting blasted right into his eyes and brain. Bang, bang, bang. One after another. And I think he's really really tired of being a Death Eater and suffering through the awfully dangerous job of being a spy for us against Voldy and the Death Eaters. Imagine the tension knowing that any time some small mistake could betray you and put you in the hands of Voldy's tender mercies. Oi! Don't know how he hasn't gone batty a long time ago."

Thyrsa said, "I think inside he was overjoyed about this out-of-the-blue possibility that ol' Voldy could finally be neutered like a young doggie seeing the vet. He knows that becoming a Death Eater was a big mistake, so if this all goes according to plan, he'll finally be able to live the life he wants to live; pestering new students and researching potions down in his beloved dark and damp dungeon without other big worries. Happy as a pig in poop."

They all laughed and Kongolo said to Thyrsa, "Well, considering how much good service he's done in helping keep Hogwarts safe, I think I would use a different phrase."

Thyrsa said, "I know. I'm being too mean. But he was kind of rough on me in first year potions. I got through it OK, but I'm not the best at all that measuring, mixing and stirring business. Kinda boring for me. Much rather learn about magical creatures. That's interesting."

Sylvia said, "Looks like your wish may come true. Snape may actually see Amma soon. You'll finally be able to watch his head explode. When he does get his darshan, I wanna be standing behind Amma's chair to see if he actually smiles. I bet he will. No one has ever seen Snape smile and I wanna be the first. I'll take an extra small magical camera to capture the moment."

Thyrsa said, "He doesn't smile, but he is an expert at smug smirking. He's got that down to a fine art."

Kongolo asked Harry, "How did it feel learning you really were a horcrux all these years?"

Harry replied, "Well, the best thing of all is I learned about it _after_ it was removed. If I'd known about while it was still wriggling around in my noggin, well, that would have really twisted me up. Dumbledore was right not to tell me. With all the other madness going on in my life, knowing that could have pushed me over the edge. Especially knowing that the only way to get rid of it is by dying would have made me really crazy. A really cruel self-fulfilling prophecy. "

Sylvia said, "Maybe that's one of the benefits of you having such a strong magic core, it helps you stay stable even when you're under pressure from lots of different directions."

Harry said, "Well, now that the inner pressure is gone I know that handling the outer pressure will be much easier."

Thyrsa said, "You know, I'd love to be there when Voldy takes Amma's potion. I am so curious to see what actually happens. What would we do with a nice Voldy, anyway?"

Kongolo said, "He would make a perfect Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. He knows more about all that stuff than anyone else alive. And, just maybe, when he's cured or whatever happens to him, the curse on the DADA position will be gone. Imagine the first day of class, 'Hello students, I'm Voldemort and I'll be your DADA professor this year.' Would be wild."

Harry said, "If that happens he'll go back to being Tom Riddle, just another normal Hogwarts professor. Maybe the students would get used to it pretty quickly."

Sylvia said, "Hmmm. If all goes well maybe we'll drag Riddle to see Amma next year. We'll stand him up in front of Amma and say 'Hey! Look! Your potion worked!' She would laugh and give him a big hug and two Hershey's Kisses."

Kongolo said, "Once Voldy is cured, the next big project is getting all the Death Eaters to go meet Amma."

Harry said, "That will be near impossible. Like Snape said, once Voldy is neutered, they'll immediately scatter to the four winds. Amelia and the aurors will be busy for the next 10 years tracking them down."

Sylvia said, "As long as they're gone, that's good enough for me."

Thyrsa said, "One thing amazing to me was hearing Fawkes sing. Never heard that before. Was so beautiful! It felt so good inside. Like Fawkes has the same kind of energy as Amma. So when we take Riddle to see Amma, let's also take Fawkes. He can perch on her shoulder and Amma will feed him Hershey's Kisses."

Kongolo said, "Not sure how Dumbledore would feel about that. If Fawkes meets Amma he may never want to leave. He'd travel around the planet with her. You know what would be nice? Having Fawkes sing one or two phoenix songs during the bhajans. The audience would love it. They'd all go into trance."

Harry said, "Could be difficult. Fawkes is a magical creature, so could go against the Statute of Secrecy. And even today some muggles got a weird fear and hatred of magicals. Not so much in Britain now, but definitely in other countries. Gotta be careful."

Thyrsa said, "You're right. Poor Fawkes, I bet he would love to sing with Amma in front of a big audience. And Fawkes would be the best ambassador of the Magical community."

Sylvia said, "Speaking of traveling around the planet, one thing I'd love to do is join them if some of the Hogwarts professors do go to Magical India to learn from the holy muggles there. Would be really interesting to meet other people like Amma. Imagine growing up in a country where people like Amma is actually something that's a normal part of life. I could explore if magical people could also learn some of this muggle magic."

Kongolo said, "Actually, you could start to learn that. Amma has created some spiritual practices that she offers to everyone. Next time you go to an Amma event you can learn it and start practicing. Takes only a day or two to learn."

Sylvia said, "Really? Actually I am interested in that. How long is Amma in London?"

Kongolo said, "I think til January 3rd or 4th. So you've got some time. And then she's doing a program in Dublin after London, so you can learn it there, also. Just have to locate the wizarding center in Dublin to get their floo address."

Sylvia began making mental plans. Thyrsa put her arm around Sylvia, leaned her head on her shoulder and said, "Don't forget about me, I'll be joining you."

Sylvia smiled and said, "Brilliant! I'd love that. We'll pester Amma again."

Thyrsa said, "Nice, we'll make her laugh. More good karma."

Sylvia said, "But remember, Amma will ask you if you've been talking and sharing with her everyday. Be prepared."

"No problem." said Thyrsa, "I've got that all taken care of. I see Amma in everyone."

"Even Lucius Malfoy?"

Thyrsa paused, "Mmm. I'm working on that. Give me some time. Rome wasn't burned in a day, ya know."

~~~ end of chapter 12 ~~~


	13. Chapter 13

~o~o~o~

 **Disclaimer:** All recognizable characters and settings belong to J. K. Rowling.

~o~o~o~

**Chapter 13**

~o~o~o~

January 2nd, 1997. London, Southbank Convention Center, Thursday morning.

Dumbledore, Alastor Moody and Severus Snape had been seated in line for about 25 minutes. Now they were seated on the stage getting close to Amma and their darshans. It was about 10:30 am and, because they were seeing Amma for the first time, they received first timer tokens and were close to the front of the line. They were dressed in very normal, non-conspicuous muggle clothes. 'Dressed' isn't quite correct as their wizarding clothes had been transformed to look like muggle clothes. If any of their wizarding colleagues, friends or students could see them they would be deeply astonished.

The three were mostly quiet as they were very keen on experiencing Amma's energy field. They were not prepared for how strong it was and how it felt so different from the magical field of a strong wizard or witch.

Moody's magical eye now looked like a normal eye, but still had the same magical abilities. From the first time he saw Amma he looked closely at every aspect of her energy field. In the magical spectrum, Moody could see that it glowed with every color of the rainbow and was suffused with a powerful whiteness that pulsed and flowed with it's own intelligence. Amma's field reached out to everyone in the room in a very gentle way. Amma's rainbow light tendrils caressed everyone the way you would caress a beloved cat or dog.

The tendrils also 'saw' or 'read' the mental, emotional and physical state of everyone and carried that information back to Amma. And the tendrils offered little pulses of healing energy to each person. Moody could see that each person had a different mental state and thus a different receptivity to these healing pulses. Some could absorb a lot, others could absorb barely any.

Moody could also clearly see the tendrils that Amma was sending to him. He could see they had only wise and positive intentions, so, as much as possible, he tried to invite them in so he could learn about them. The tendrils happily accepted his conscious invitation and they sent little pulses of healing energy throughout his physical, emotional and mental bodies.

Moody felt great.

He instinctively knew that by breathing deeply and relaxing the tendrils could send more energy into him. He tried to relax as much as possible. Moody could clearly sense the tendrils were having fun with him, dancing and playfully sending pulses everywhere inside him that required them.

Moody felt more than great. He had to work to suppress his smile; his smiling muscles, like Snape's, being used only rarely, if at all.

Once or twice he caught Amma glancing at him with the most mischievous of smiles.

Dumbledore was experiencing something very similar to Moody's experience. Being Dumbledore, he did not try to resist his urge to smile.

Snape, because of, well, being Snape, had a deeply ingrained resistance to something like Amma's energy field. He let in a little bit just to see what it was like, but no more. His distrust of himself and others ran very deep.

Amma was waiting for him.

Dumbledore, Moody and Snape had never been in the presence of someone who, they knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, was living and operating at a higher level that they couldn't begin to understand. This was a profoundly new experience for them. They were very used to being the senior persons in almost all groups and situations.

Not here.

Dumbledore felt like a young boy playing with a toy wand, having no training in magic at all, meeting Merlin in the prime of his powers.

Soon it was Dumbledore's turn. He knelt on the soft carpet and Amma gave him a big smile before pulling him in for a warm hug. She whispered something into his ear that he couldn't understand; perhaps in her native language, he wondered. As she whispered Dumbledore felt the sensation of a little seed of pure loving light enter his mind. And he felt that a deeper part of him fully welcomed this seed. This part of him was deeper than his conscious mind, and he had no control over it.

This was his first real experience of his deeper self. Suddenly he realized that who he was was a lot more than his conscious mind. And this deeper self welcomed in this seed of energy from this woman he just met. He felt a slight tinge of fear but it quickly passed. He could feel this newfound deeper self sensing his fear and just giving a gentle smile in return.

Amma leaned back from the hug and in a laughing voice said something to one of her assistants dressed in rich red robes. The assistant translated for Dumbledore: "Amma says you have a lot of good power." As he said this Amma flexed her bicep muscle like she was showing off. Then she indicated for Dumbledore to flex his bicep. He complied and Amma reached out to gently squeeze Dumbledore's tensed bicep. Then she said, "Strong shakti!" and dissolved into childlike laughter.

Dumbledore couldn't help laughing himself while also a little surprised that someone with such depth and power was acting like a silly child. Amma pulled him in and kissed both his cheeks and handed him a Hershey's Kiss with a few flower petals.

As he stood up a sudden strange thought popped into his mind: "Now I'm a horcrux of Divine Light!"

A moment later it was Moody's turn. Amma looked at Moody for a second and then he saw her do something totally unexpected. Amma's left eye began to look in every direction while her right eyed stayed perfectly still looking at him. Then it hit him; Amma was doing a splendid imitation of his magical left eye. Moody felt such surprise that he started laughing uproariously. Amma then grabbed him and gave him a big hug and rocked him back and forth, joining in his laughter.

Amma's assistants who saw the eye display were astonished. They had never seen such a thing and it looked deeply strange and disconcerting. Amma pulled Moody close and whispered in his ear, "My darling son, my darling son, my darling son."

Then Amma spoke something to her assistant who translated to Moody: "Amma says you can see her thousands of hands. You have very good vision." Then Amma rubbed his chest and said something more. The assistant translated: "Amma says, 'Don't forget to see inside yourself; everything is in there." Amma then said with a big smile, "OK?" Moody said, "Yes, Amma, I will." Amma then pulled him in for a kiss on the cheek and gave him a Hershey's Kiss with some rose petals.

Soon it was Snape's turn. Amma gave him a big smile, pulled him in for a hug and whispered in his ear, "My darling son, my darling son, my darling son." Then she leaned back and made a motion like she was stirring a pot and said something to her assistant. He translated: "Amma says you make good medicines that help many people." Snape said, "Yes, Amma. I also teach how to make medicines."

Amma started rubbing Snape's chest and spoke to her assistant. The assistant said, "Amma says that the most important ingredient is love. Don't forget to add some love to all your medicines." Amma then held both of Snape's hands, looked deeply into his eyes and asked, "OK?" Snape felt a big warm soft feeling move through him. A few tears flowed from his eyes and he said, "Yes, Amma, I will try to do that. Will you help me?" Amma gave a big smile, rubbed his chest some more and said, "Yes, Amma always helps her darling children!"

Then she pulled him in close and kissed both his cheeks. Snape tried to stand but Amma put a strong hand on his shoulder so he stayed kneeling in front of her. Amma spoke to one of her assistants behind her and she handed her a mug. Then Amma said with a big smile, "Amma's medicine!" Snape saw that the contents looked like tea with milk. Amma carefully held it up to Snape and he took a few drinks. It was delicious, hot spiced tea with milk. Amma gave him some more, like she was feeding a young child. Snape felt wonderful but also more than a little embarrassed to be drinking like a small child. Amma then laughed some more, handed the mug back to her assistant and gently rubbed his cheek.

Then she handed him a Hershey's Kiss with some flower petals as he stood up. Snape started toward the exit but another assistant said to him, "Amma would like you to sit on stage for a while. We have some chairs back there." The assistant indicated the chairs. Snape went and sat down. Some tears continued to slide down his cheeks and it felt good. Soon he closed his eyes and tuned into the big feeling that was moving through him and around him.

~~~ end of chapter 13 ~~~


	14. Chapter 14

~o~o~o~

 **Disclaimer:** All recognizable characters and settings belong to J. K. Rowling.

~o~o~o~

**Chapter 14**

~o~o~o~

January 9th, 1997, Thursday late afternoon. Hogwarts.

Snape was in his study room when an owl appeared at the window. He let it in along with some cold winter air, removed the note and placed it on his desk. Then he went and got some sausage scraps for the owl. He sat down, unfolded the note and read it.

_"He went to castle yesterday. Be there for week or more."_

Snape quickly put the note into a metal pan on his desk. The note then burned to ashes. He then pulled out a small sheet of parchment and wrote:

_"Acquired the potion you've been seeking. Please advise. -S"_

He fed the owl some more sausage and then carefully tied the note to it's leg. He told the owl 'Sadova Castle' and opened the window. The owl flew off into the winter sunset sky and disappeared. Snape made himself some dinner then spent some time preparing notes for upcoming classes. There was a distinctive tapping on his window and he opened it. The owl flew in and landed on his table. He untied the note and then retrieved some leftover quail for the owl. The note simply read:

_"Bring now."_

Snape placed it in the pan and it burned.

Snape was expecting this reply and then he wrote another note:

_"Taking potion now to Sadova Castle. Please arrange someone to cover my classes. 2 or 3 days? Maybe more?"_

After the owl had finished eating, he tied the note to it's leg and told it 'Dumbledore'. Then he opened the windows and it flew away.

Snape gathered a bag of clothing and items sufficient for 4 days and then retrieved Amma's potion. He shrunk down the box and placed it in a sealed pouch inside the bag. He warded his rooms and then took a few deep breaths and tried to steady his nerves as he always did before seeing Voldemort. Then, with a sharp crack, he apparated to Sadova.

~o~o~o~

Snape appeared in the large main room on the ground floor of the castle. Elegant sofas, chairs, tables and lamps graced the room. A few lamps were lit creating a warm glow in the room. At one end was a beautiful billiard table. He knew that behind him would be two Death Eater guards with wands pointed at his back. Snape tried to ignore the fear crawling up and down his spine. He didn't turn around but simply waited patiently for Voldemort to arrive.

After some time Voldemort came down the grand curving steps with the thick, nine foot form of Nagini slithering beside him. The snake went ahead of Voldemort, came up to Snape and checked him here and there with her tongue. Once again, Snape exerted his will to keep himself calm and impassive during the examination. Nagini turned to Voldemort and hissed at him, _"He is safe, Master. No residues or taints."_

It took every ounce of Snape's self control to hide his shock and surprise. He could understand what Nagini said! Snape kept his stance and gaze impassive, but inside his mind was racing.

 _'How in Merlin's eight heavens have I learned parseltongue?!'_ Snape thought to himself. Then a realization dawned in his mind. With no change of expression, he smiled inside and thought, _'Oi! Amma! What kind of games are you playing with me?'_

Voldemort hissed in reply, _"Good. Thank you, Nagini. You may hunt outside if you wish."_ Voldemort told one of the guards to open the large glass door that opened to the large backyard and the dark forest beyond. Nagini slithered out and the guard closed the door.

Voldemort then pulled out his wand and waved it around Snape. Satisfied, he told the guards to resume their guard positions outside the large mansion.

Voldemort indicated two comfortable chairs next to a table. They both sat and without saying anything, Snape pulled the potion vial from his bag and placed it one the table in front of Voldemort. Voldemort waved his wand over it and sat silently for a moment. Then he pulled a magical seeing glass out of his pocket, picked up the bottle and examined it in great detail. He put the seeing glass back in his pocket, held up the vial and held his fingers close to it. He slowly turned the vial and moved his fingers over every surface on the vial. He held his fingers over the seal for a while, reading the magical signature there.

Voldemort very carefully removed the stopper and sniffed the contents. He winced slightly and put the stopper back in. Then he opened the glass door and hissed out into the darkness. _'Nagini, come here.'_ After a moment Nagini returned and he held out the vial to the serpent. Nagini flicked it with her tongue a few times and then they had a short conversation in parseltongue. Snape overheard what they said; Nagini confirmed that the potion smelled authentic. Voldemort came back in, closed the door and took his seat. Then he asked Snape, "How much was it?"

Snape raised his occlumency shields just enough before replying, "Two thousand galleons."

Voldemort gave a slight nod, then said, "You know the ritual?"

"After getting the potion, I studied all the details to refresh my memory. I can assist with the ritual if you desire."

"Meet me at 6 am in the basement. We will do the ritual, and then I will take the potion at sunrise per the instructions. I'll take it in the main bedroom down this hallway so as to be in the morning sun as is instructed."

Voldemort rose, left and walked up the stairs to his own room.

Snape went to the large kitchen, instructed the house elves to prepare him a light evening meal. Snape spent the meal relaxing and releasing the tension that had built up in him. Voldemort had accepted the potion as authentic and Snape could breathe easily again, at least until tomorrow morning.

Snape went to the guest bedroom and settled in. He was going to practice his newfound parseltongue skill but decided not to in case Voldemort had some kind of surveillance on him. He spent some time going over all the details of the preparation ritual for this potion and then went to bed. He turned out the light. As had become his bedtime habit now, he replayed in his mind his Amma darshan before sleep enfolded him.

~~~ end of chapter 14 ~~~


	15. Chapter 15

~o~o~o~

 **Disclaimer:** All recognizable characters and settings belong to J. K. Rowling.

~o~o~o~

**Chapter 15**

~o~o~o~

January 10th, 1997. Early Friday morning. Sadova Castle. Romania.

Snape awoke at 5 am, cleaned himself up, got dressed, went to the kitchen and enjoyed a cup of tea with milk and a few biscuits. In preparations for Voldemort's upcoming experience with the potion, he asked for 2 buckets from the House elves. He then placed these in a corner of the bedroom that Voldemort would be using after he took the potion.

As he entered the hallway Nagini slithered out of the darkness towards him. Snape gave a small jerk of frightened surprise which elicited some hissing laughter from the serpent. Snape then stood still as Nagini flicked her tongue here and there around his form, checking for anything unusual or potentially dangerous. Nagini then slithered away.

Snape went down the dark stairs to the main basement room. The floor was slate and the walls were natural stone. Voldemort had lit a few candles around the room and was placing various ritual items on the large table against one of the walls. On the walls were bookcases and shelves filled with books and various items used for potions, rituals and other magical arts.

Voldemort handed a stick of chalk to Snape, pointed to a small oriental carpet in the middle of the floor on which rested a large silver platter. In the middle of the platter was a large golden chalice with inlaid gems. Voldemort said, "That is the center, begin making the orbit."

Snape took the chalk, looked at the chalice and closed his eyes to magically sense the exact size for the orbit and the exact marking for the eastern direction. He opened his eyes and saw a small spot of magical light on the floor indicating the radius of the orbit from the chalice and the eastern spot. Snape went to that spot, marked it, and then, walking in a clockwise direction marked the spots for south, west and north.

Then, returning to the east, he began drawing there the complex symbols and glyphs required. As he drew, he chanted under his breath the various incantations for the ritual. Slowly the symbols began to glow with various colors. Snape went to the table, placed some tobacco leaves in a small yellow ceramic platter and placed it in the correct spot at the center of the eastern symbols.

After completing the east, he did the same for the south, completing it with some sweetgrass in a black platter. Then Voldemort joined in and drew the western symbols which were completed with some sage in a red platter. Snape then did the northern symbols completing them with some ceder in a white platter.

When all that was complete, they both drew the remaining symbols at various places in and around the circle. Then they both placed candles at all the required locations.

They stepped back and Voldemort moved behind the eastern symbols and Snape behind the west. Voldemort then told Nagini to place herself behind the southern symbols while a large spider appeared from the darkness to stand behind the northern symbols. Voldemort then whispered the next series of incantations. Then with a wave of his hand Voldemort lit all the candles.

Voldemort and Snape stretched their arms out and together chanted the final incantations. The central chalice began to glow and tendrils of light from the chalice reached out and connected with the four directions. From a small table behind him, Voldemort took the potion vial, held it in both hands, whispered some more incantations and carefully stepped over the circle at the one point where there was a very short gap in the chalk markings. Voldemort went to Nagini who touched the vial with her tongue. Then Snape who touched the vial with his right ring finger. Then the spider which touched it with one of its legs.

Then Voldemort stood again in front of the eastern symbols and touched the vial with his right ring finger. Then, with more whispered incantations, he walked to the center and raised the vial along the center vertical axis above the chalice. The vial began to glow. He removed the stopper from the vial, placed it on the platter and poured the contents of the vial into the golden, glowing chalice. Then he took the chalice around the circle again for each creature to touch it.

He placed the glowing chalice back on the platter, stepped out of the circle and from his spot behind the eastern symbols and hissed in parseltongue to Nagini, _'Move back, serpent. Your part is complete.'_ Nagini moved back from the circle. Then he said to Snape, 'Move back, human. Your part is complete.'. Then to the spider and then he himself stepped back. A few more incantations then Voldemort raised his hands and all the chalk lines glowed brightly then disappeared. Voldemort whispered again and extinguished all the candles around the circle.

The room became much darker. He then floated the candlesticks and the other items back to their places on a shelf. The tobacco, sweetgrass, sage and cedar were floated into a small iron cauldron.

Voldemort took the glowing chalice and indicated for Snape to follow. Snape walked behind with the iron cauldron floating next to him. They then went out the back door into the cold predawn darkness and Snape floated the cauldron onto the top ring of a four foot high metal tripod. Snape then waved his hand over the cauldron and it began to burn with a smokey fire. Voldemort whispered a series of incantations and very carefully poured one small drop of the potion into the flames. The fire hissed loudly and the flames flared up strongly, then gradually died down. Voldemort moved his free hand through the smoke and spread the smoke over his body.

They went inside to the large bedroom and Voldemort carefully placed the glowing chalice onto the night stand beside the bed. Nearby was a glass and a pitcher of water. He transformed his clothes into comfortable sleep clothes and turned down the blankets and sheets. He floated a few extra pillows onto the bed. Voldemort said, "As you know, this is a very powerful potion and it will take some time for my body and my magical energy to process it. I may vomit as the potion is absorbed. I see you've brought the buckets; good. If you hear me vomit, just come in right away and scourgify. You have read about the effects of the potion so simply keep an eye on me as needed to see that it's proceeding normally. When complete my soul integrity will be restored along the full power I had before creating the various horcruxes. There are Death Eater guards outside around the property and they will come and go according to their scheduled shifts."

Voldemort then fully opened the curtains covering the large glass doors facing the east. The predawn light poured in and it took a moment for Snape's eyes to adjust. Voldemort held the chalice and faced east. In a few moments the first bit of sun rose above the eastern hills and Voldemort drank the potion. Snape took the chalice and handed him a glass of water. Voldemort drank some and placed the glass on the nightstand. Then he laid down with the morning sun shining on him. Snape made sure the buckets were there and left the room, leaving the door slightly open.

In the living room Snape did some simple stretching exercises to loosen his muscles and then went to the kitchen. He instructed one of the House elves to prepare his tea with some particular spices he learned of at the Amma program. In a few moments he took his chai to the living room to watch the sunrise before reading his book.

_After about 15 minutes, Voldemort felt the potion begin to take effect with a tingling all over his body and a buzzing, lightheaded feeling in his mind. It slowly grew stronger and the quiet sounds of the few winter birds filled his awareness. It was like his head was a space and the different sounds would occupy different spaces and move around. The sounds weren't just sounds, but also had a three dimensional existence that he was only now becoming aware of. The sounds and their spatial quality combined and it was like hearing sounds for the first time._

_Similar for his bodily sensations, he was feeling an aliveness in his body that was integrated with the sounds of the birds. Like his body, the sounds and the birds were all one thing, connected and intertwined. He began to sense that this connectedness was the real nature of experience. When he opened his eyes the sounds combined with the subtly shifting colors and shapes of the objects in his field of vision. The landscape painting on the opposite wall was undulating and acquired colors he had never seen before, and the bird sounds were entangling with his experience of the painting and with the experience of the tingling all over his body. The tingling made everything he saw vibrate and hum with their own aliveness. is head felt enormous and full of space with waves of vibrations combining with the bird sounds. For a while he just sank into all these sensations and enjoyed them._

_Then he felt his individual sense of self start to dissolve and this triggered fear. He tried to get out of bed but was too weak to move and the fear now came with a feeling of semi-paralysis. This heightened the fear and he felt a deepening tightness and constriction fill his body. All he could do was make small moaning sounds and move his head a little from side to side. The fear came in waves. When it arose it was like he was close to death, then it would subside just a bit and he would feel some slight relief._

_Then a vision arose in his mind. From a dark forest a dark sneering female face with wild black hair moved toward him. Around her were some wolves and large bugs with sharp mandibles that threatened him. The face would come close and leer at him then move away while the bugs and wolves moved in to threaten him. Suddenly some of the wolves and bugs jumped into his belly and began eating inside. He felt terrified and a sudden wave of intense nausea arose. It took all his strength to lean over and vomit into the bucket._

Snape heard the noise, quickly came to Voldemort and used scourgify to remove all the mess. The floor was tile which made it easier to clean. Voldemort lay back down but he didn't notice Snape standing there. Apparently he was lost in some inner vision. Voldemort leaned over, vomited again some black noxious mess into the buckets which was quickly cleaned. Voldemort's eyes were open but he didn't acknowledge Snape's presence. Voldemort moaned quietly with a fearful expression. His arms moved a little trying to rise but then fell back to his side.

_The creatures continued to eat his insides and the dark face continued to glare at him. In a terrified frame of mind, Voldemort asked, "What do you want?" The face faded and the vision of the wolves and bugs eating his insides came up again and he sank into terror and despair, periodically vomiting and sinking back into the vision. The wild hair around the glaring face started to whip around like angry snakes. Voldemort felt that this wild hair was going to destroy him and his soul. He tried to look away or move but the face continued to glare at him._

_At one point the fear overwhelmed him and he just started to cry with a sickening feeling that he had no choice but to surrender to his own death. For a while his tears and his death became one and the same and he helplessly sank deeper into this terrifying experience._

Snape had pulled up a chair nearby. He watched Voldemort silently cry for a long time with his eyes closed. He was amazed at how much black noxious mess Voldemort had vomited up. Thank goodness the scourgify spell required only small amounts of magical energy. In spite of the vomiting, which seemed to have stopped for the time being, Snape had become hungry and the House elves brought him a few sandwiches and chai.

_In a great slow wave of inner movement, Voldemort felt his sense of individuality dissolve and a great feeling of peace came over him. He found himself sitting on the ground in a dark forest but he felt safe, like the part of himself that could feel fear no longer existed. A huge wolf walked up to him and they looked at each other. With his nose the wolf knocked him over but Voldemort, or the awareness that used to be Voldemort, wasn't concerned. The wolf laid down on his chest and he felt the last remnants of Voldemort were being squeezed out of him. In one distant corner of this awareness there was some intense terror, but it was so small and so far away that it held no concern for the awareness. The wolf put it's nose right into his face, opened its mouth and bared its teeth. The awareness that had been Voldemort just allowed the wolf to do as it pleased. The intense pressure of the wolf's weight began to feel like he was being held by some vast clear relaxed being. Waves of bliss and well-being filled 'Voldemort' and for an infinite amount of time 'he' just let 'himself' be held by this being. Intense feelings of gratitude blended with the bliss. Then everything disappeared into this experience and he was gone._

After a while Voldemort stopped crying and just lay still, his eyes closed and his face seemingly very relaxed. Snape saw that Voldemort's breathing had become deep and regular. Snape went, got his book and came back to Voldemort's room and started reading, occasionally glancing at Voldemort, who remained unmoving for about 2 hours. Snape would occasionally stand and walk around a little bit but mostly he stayed in the room, very curious as to how Voldemort's experience would unfold.

_After an unknowable amount of time awareness returned and Tom Riddle found himself in a vision walking in a dim forest. There was some light but he couldn't tell if it was sunrise or sunset. He saw a large group of the bugs from earlier in his vision. They were moving in a big group on the forest floor. Suddenly they all flew up to him and went inside him. Tom felt them moving around inside, but this time they were just having fun looking around inside his body, looking for things to adjust and fix. He also felt them in his brain and he knew that these bugs were also having a good time fixing things there. Tom got the clear feeling the bugs had a job to do and it was important that he let them do it._

_Tom continued walking down the forest path and kind of forgot about the bugs and their work. Then he came to a clear pond and he saw lots of different colored small fish swimming around. Tom was not surprised when the fish jumped up and started swimming around inside him. The fish were having a good time darting around and eating all the bugs. The fish got stronger after eating the bugs. The colors from the glowing fish were lighting up all the different parts of his body and brain. And, like the bugs, they were having fun swimming around. Soon his body was glowing with all these amazing colors and this caused the colors in the forest to get brighter and sharper. Tom was entranced gazing at the colors and leaves moving in the gentle wind that blew through the trees._

Snape heard Voldemort take in a deep long breath and he looked up from his book to see. Voldemort's face was slowly shifting! Snape was shocked! The normal horrible features of Voldemort were melting away being replaced by a normal looking human face. The change happened over about five minutes. The person now was a handsome man about 60 years old, salt and pepper grey hair and beard, dark eyebrows and grey eyes.

_Then Tom saw a group of large wolves walking down the trail towards him. He sat down on the trail and the wolves gathered round him, sniffing him all over and bumping him with their noses. Two of the wolves held either of his arms in their jaws and lifted them up. Tom felt powerless over them and just let the wolves do as they pleased._

_The wolves grabbed his arms and legs and moved him down the trail to the edge of a high cliff. Tom could see the sun rising far down the forest valley. He and the wolves watched the sunrise and as they did Tom felt more and more that the wolves were his real family. He had never experienced the feeling of family and it was amazing and wonderful! All the wolves started nuzzling him and licking him while the light from the sun filled him up. Tom sank deeper and deeper into this true family feeling until soon he dissolved into it for an unknown amount of time._

Snape then noticed a movement in his peripheral vision. Some balls of light were moving toward the glass doors. They moved through the glass and floated towards Voldemort and bobbed above his chest. Then, one by one, they slowly floated down into his chest and Voldemort's whole upper torso began to glow with a bright light that faded after a few moments. Snape watched all this with a sense of wonder.

Then a few moments later Snape saw the man start to smile, his mouth twitching like he was on the verge of laughter. Then he began to gently cry while his smile grew bigger. He cried in this way for a long time, occasionally letting out small noises like bits of laughter. Snape watched, transfixed at the transformation that had occurred before him. Snape started now thinking of him as Tom Riddle rather than Voldemort.

Snape then noticed a mild sensation on his right arm and looked down. His Dark Mark was gone! This triggered a sudden feeling of joy and freedom that he hadn't felt since he was very young. A Dark Mark only disappeared when the giver of the mark died. Snape thought about this and came to the initial conclusion that the being that had been Voldemort had died in some fashion.

Snape pulled out his wand and moved it over Tom's unmoving form to see how he was. Snape discovered that his exceptionally strong magical field had changed dramatically. It no longer had the strong overtones of anger and aggression. It was now much more like Dumbledore's or McGonagall's fields which were strong but with relaxed and gentle overtones.

Snape sat down and started wondering if all the other Death Eaters had now lost their Dark Marks. If they had many if not all of them would quickly assume that Voldemort was dead and would be quickly moving to other locations. When Dumbledore and his group found out that the Dark Marks were gone, they would also make the same assumption, and quickly try to capture the 'former' Death Eaters and bring them to justice. The power balance in the Wizengamot would quickly switch to Dumbledore's favor as supporters of Voldemort would leave or switch allegiance. Snape could only imagine the scenes now unfolding in and around Hogwarts and Magical Britain.

Tom eventually slowly returned to normal awareness at around 1:30 pm. He looked at Snape, out the large glass doors and around the room. Then he very slowly pulled himself up and sat on the bed. He didn't say anything but just continued looking around with a smile and with curiosity.

Snape asked him, "What is your name?"

Tom looked at Snape with a relaxed expression, "Tom Riddle."

"Where is Voldemort?"

Tom looked thoughtful, "It feels Voldemort has gone to the same place that nightmares go when one awakens. Voldemort is gone. Tom Riddle is here." Tom looked out the glass doors to the forest beyond and the few winter birds flying about. "And I have found my brothers and sisters."

Tom looked at Snape and said, "I let darkness take me over. I didn't know better and didn't know how to stop it. My magic was strong but young Tom Riddle was very scared, sad and very lonely. So young Tom desperately hid those feelings deep inside and pretended to be something strong. But it was all pretend. I caused immense suffering to you and others. To say I'm sorry does not at all make up for all my crimes. I am sorry Severus. You may kill me or torture me as you wish. And, if you desire, you can tell me how to make up for it, and I will try. I do not ask for your forgiveness. I know that is far too much to ask for."

Snape sat still and thought for a long time. Then he asked, "May I probe into your mind?"

Tom replied, "Yes, of course." Snape moved close to Tom and put his wand close to his forehead. As Snape carefully probed he found no occlumens barriers or any other kind of barriers. Snape only found a quiet, relaxed mind with no darkness.

Snape returned his wand to his holster, then he asked Tom, "May I have your wand?"

"Of course." Tom replied, then pulled his wand from his holster that was resting on the nightstand, and handed it to Snape. Snape took it and put it in his robe. Snape knew that Voldemort could do a lot of wandless magic, and probably Tom could as well, so taking his wand didn't reduce Tom's power by much, but it was a huge revelation that Tom was willing to give up his wand so easily.

Tom said with a slight smile, "I'm feeling a little hungry. Shall we have lunch?" Snape nodded and they both stood up. As they entered the large main living room they saw a small elegant woman about 70 years of age sitting on the sofa drinking some tea brought by the House elves. Snape was very surprised and didn't know how she could have entered through the wards.

The woman stood up, looked carefully at Tom and said, "Is Voldemort dead?"

Tom looked sad and paused before replying, "Essentially, yes. Voldemort is dead. You are free, Nagini."

The woman just stood there and her eyes lost focus. She sat back down on the couch with a stunned and confused expression. She put her head in her hands and started to cry. Tom went and sat next to her.

She started to shout. "That bastard! I never wanted to be his horcrux! I never wanted to be his slave. The horcrux was awful!" She put her head back in her hands and cried some more. Then, "I didn't want that insanity in my mind! I hurt so many people!" Nagini turned and began hitting Tom in the chest, "Aahhh! I was infected! It was horrible! I didn't want to hurt anyone! He poisoned my mind!" Tom very gently put his arms around Nagini. She let herself be held, stopped hitting him and then collapsed into his arms, crying for a long time. Tom just held her, not saying anything.

Snape sat in the chair, feeling his own emotions rise. Another part of him looked carefully at Tom; at how he was holding and comforting Nagini. Snape looked at the sadness in Tom's eyes as he also cried.

Snape knew that Nagini the serpent was one of Voldemort's horcruxes. Also, when the horcrux left her body it also apparently removed Nagini's maledictus curse, allowing her to return to her natural human form.

After a while, Nagini stopped crying and just let herself be held for a long time by Tom. Tom looked over Nagini's head outside to the forest beyond, his expression soft and open.

Tom said quietly, "Nagini, I'm sorry. I was filled with a dreadful sickness, and that is no excuse at all. If I'm lucky I'll be able to make up for a small part of my crimes."

Nagini pulled out of Tom's arms and took some tissues from the table and wiped her face. Then she looked at him carefully. She searched his eyes for a few moments and said, "By some stupendous miracle, it seems you have somehow allowed yourself to be healed. If the healing is permanent, then that will make up for a lot. And if you can say you're sorry and truly understand why you're saying sorry, that will also make up for a lot."

Tom said, "Yes, I will try. I'll need others to help me."

Nagini sighed and said, "And, in these past few moments, you have helped me heal a little by just being here and being silent. Maybe more than a little."

Tom just said, "And likewise for me."

Nagini drank some more tea and turned back to Tom. "Is Voldemort really gone? Gone for good?" she asked.

Tom replied, "I'm pretty sure he's gone for good. I don't feel him inside. If I should go to Hogwarts I'll request the mind healers at St. Mungo's to look at me and tell me what they see."

Nagini looked at the floor before speaking, "What happened? How did it happen?"

Tom smiled at that, "Well, I think I know part of the answer, but I have a feeling our good friend Snape has the biggest part of the answer to that question." Tom paused, looked at Snape and then Nagini, "Shall we have a little lunch and talk more? I also have many questions for our esteemed Potions Master."

Tom called a House elf and requested lunch be served. The House elf looked at Tom and said, "Master! You look very different. You seem better." Tom laughed, "I am better, thank you." The House elf smiled and disappeared.

Tom waved his hand and shrunk down the elegant dining table so it was comfortable for three people. They sat and the House elves brought their lunch. As they were beginning to eat there was a knock on the front door. Tom gave a small smile, looked at Snape and said, "I'm pretty sure it's one of the guards surprised as hell to find his Dark Mark gone."

Snape said, "If you answer the door, he likely won't recognize you as Tom Riddle and may think you killed Voldemort. One plan is I could open the door since the guards know I'm here. You can give yourself an invisibility spell and stand nearby. As soon as I open the door, accio his wand and then we'll explain to him the situation."

Tom agreed and Snape handed him his wand. As they walked to the door Tom cast the invisibility spell on himself and Snape opened the door. Tom raised his wand and whispered, "Accio!" and the guard's wand jumped into his hand.

Snape had his wand at the ready and said to the guard, "Let me see your arm." The guard knew that Snape was a very powerful wizard and, without his own wand, he was pretty much powerless. The guard raised his sleeve to reveal a bare forearm. Snape then showed the guard his own bare forearm. The guard asked in an incredulous voice, "What has happened? Is Voldemort dead or spelled in some way?" Snape gave a small sigh and said, "Come inside and join us. We'll explain."

Tom removed his invisibility and the three settled into the living room and, after a moment, Nagini joined them. Tom told the guard, "You may not recognize me but I'm Tom Riddle. For a long time I was Voldemort but, I am very happy to report that Voldemort has died. That is why your's and Snape's Dark Marks are gone. And why I'm nearly certain that the Dark Marks of all other Death Eaters are gone. Voldemort is no more. Death Eaters are no more. You are now free to live life as you choose."

The guard just looked at them in utter surprise. He knew very well that the only way a Dark Mark disappeared is when the giver of the mark died, so Voldemort must have died even if Tom Riddle was still alive.

Tom said, "The only thing I strongly suggest is to not go back to any dark or harmful activities. I now know that all that pure blood ideology is complete and utter nonsense. You may continue to believe as you choose, but choosing to believe it will just make your life miserable. The choice is yours."

The guard looked at Snape and Voldemort like his whole internal world was crumbling in front of his eyes.

Snape asked, "What is your name?"

The guard looked up, surprised, and replied, "Trevor Cherry, Master Snape."

Tom said, "For a long time, Snape was on the lookout for a very rare and powerful potion for Voldemort. He finally found it and this morning Voldemort took it. To make a long story short, you can tell people that the potion healed Tom Riddle but, as a side effect, it killed Voldemort. And tell them that Tom Riddle is very happy to be healed. You should be also."

Snape asked Trevor, "What happened to the other guard?"

Trevor replied, "He came to me and showed me that his Dark Mark was gone and just said, 'Voldemort must be dead.'. Then he stepped outside the wards and apparated somewhere. I have no idea where."

Tom just said, "Not surprising."

Trevor continued, "That's when I checked my arm and saw that it was bare."

Tom and Snape stood up and went to the door, Trevor followed behind and the three stepped outside. Snape said, "Mr, Cherry, please step just beyond the wards and we will toss you your wand. Then you are free to live as you choose." Trevor looked at them both, turned and walked until he felt himself pass through the wards. Snape tossed him his wand and Trevor caught it easily, then disappeared.

~~~ end of chapter 15 ~~~


	16. Chapter 16

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 **Disclaimer:** All recognizable characters and settings belong to J. K. Rowling.

~o~o~o~

**Chapter 16**

~o~o~o~

The three regrouped at lunch and Snape related to them the full story of Harry's darshan with Amma, the disappearance of his horcrux and the appearance of the potion.

Tom was amazed, "I didn't feel it at all when Harry's horcrux was removed. And I checked that potions bottle extremely carefully to make sure it was authentic. And for that potion to heal me the way it did is truly astounding. If this Amma can do these kinds of things, then we in the wizarding world have to wake up to the fact that the muggles, or at least a small number of muggles, have a kind of magic far beyond what we can do."

Tom turned to Snape and asked, "Is this Amma still in London?"

Snape replied, "No. From London, she went to Dublin and then I don't know where. The Head Boy at Hogwarts, Kongolo Baryamureeba, is a follower of Amma and I'm sure he knows her schedule. I can put you in touch with him if you want."

"Yes, that would be good. First I'd like to meet with you and Dumbledore to determine the next steps. I've got a lot to answer for and if we three can meet we can make a start on that." Tom smiled, "There's a chance that Dumbledore or one of his close colleagues may have already learned about the disappearance of the Dark Marks, in which case they'll correctly assume Voldemort is dead. And in which case there could be a lot of drama going on right now. Do you think you could owl a message to Dumbledore inviting him to come here now? I think the sooner he knows the full story the better."

Snape said, "Yes, that's the best approach." Snape wrote out the note and it was sent by owl to Dumbledore. 15 minutes later an owl from Dumbledore appeared with a note saying he would like to travel there now. They wrote back saying the wards had been adjusted and he can come over.

Snape said, "It will be good for me to have your wand. That will be a good sign to Dumbledore."

Tom replied, "Yes, agreed." and handed his wand over to Snape.

The three retired to the living room with tea and chai. Soon Dumbledore appeared with a 'crack!' and he faced Tom with his wand out. Tom put down his tea and said, "Hello, Albus. I very much understand your fear."

Dumbledore just asked, "Where is your wand?"

Snape said, "I have it here. As far as I can tell, Voldemort is gone and Tom is healed."

Dumbledore glanced at Snape who was holding Riddle's wand. Snape said, "Albus, look at this." Snape pulled up his sleeve and showed his bare forearm.

Dumbledore's eyes widened. "It's really gone. So the rumors were true. Some rumors were starting to fly around about Dark Marks being gone; now I see they're true."

Dumbledore looked at Tom and asked, "May I probe your mind?"

Tom said, "Yes, of course." and sat on the edge of the sofa. Without taking his eyes or wand off Tom, Dumbledore floated a chair over and sat down near Tom. First Dumbledore waved his wand around Tom and learned what Snape had earlier learned about the drastic change in his magical energy field. Then Dumbledore held his wand up to Tom's forehead and again discovered what Snape had discovered; that Tom Riddle was deeply healed. Voldemort was gone.

Dumbledore looked into Tom's eyes and asked, "How do you feel?"

Tom smiled and briefly glanced at Nagini, "To say it in a polite way, being rid of Voldemort feels pretty darn good. And, to let you know, I'm almost certain that all Dark Marks are gone. Voldemort is gone. The Death Eaters are no more. Of course, some of them may still be dangerous. But I no longer control them, nor are they under my power or influence."

Dumbledore looked at Snape and said, "I'd like to send a message to Minerva, Moody, Shacklebolt and Amelia. Do you have some parchment?" Tom waved his hand and some parchment and a quill set floated over. Without touching either Dumbledore guided the quill to quickly write the four notes. Dumbledore waved his hands and they folded themselves. Then Dumbledore shrunk them down in size, tied them to the owl and said, "Hogwarts!" and then spoke the names of the four recipients. The window was opened and the owl flew off into the afternoon sky.

Snape turned to Dumbledore and said, "I think the war is over."

Dumbledore turned to look closely at Tom, breathed deeply and said, "Yes, thank Merlin. I never want to live through a nightmare like that again." Then Dumbledore looked around and gave a little smile, "I never thought I'd see the inside of Sadova Castle."

Snape said, "I told Tom all the background about Harry's meeting with Amma, her creation of the potion, all of that."

Dumbledore gave a slight smile, "Did you tell him about our meeting with Amma?"

Snape also gave a small smile, "Not yet, you may do the honors if you wish."

Tom's eyes widened in surprise, "Both of you have met this Amma person?"

Dumbledore said, "Yes, last week. We were so impressed by Amma removing Harry's horcrux and by her creation of that fake potion, that we had to see her. If anyone can do magic like that, we would be outrageously thick headed and stupid not do so. So Snape, Moody and I went to see her."

Tom said in surprise, "Moody went? That old mad badger? Bloody hell. This Amma must be truly amazing beyond belief for Moody to go."

Dumbledore and Snape looked at each other and Dumbledore said, "She is. Even more so to see you healed and Voldemort gone."

Dumbledore then described his darshan and said, "So I was like a small child in front of my dearest grandmother. I haven't felt that way since I was about 6 years old."

Tom turned to Snape and asked, "And your meeting with Amma? How was it?" Snape, being Snape, was very reluctant to share. Tom sensed this and said, "If you don't want to share it, that is no problem."

Snape took a deep breath, paused and said, "I'll share it, but I would like it to be just between us. Is that agreed?" Everyone agreed and Snape shared his experience. Then Snape said, "I know to almost everyone I seem like an 'old dungeon bat' but Amma saw something very different. And that has helped me to start to see myself differently."

Dumbledore smiled and said, "I very much look forward to experiencing the potions you make from here on out."

Snape smiled slightly, "They will be excellent, as always. Maybe even a little more potent." He paused. "And perhaps a little less bitter."

Dumbledore smiled at that, leaned back in his chair and looked at Tom, "Tom, I would like to hear about your experience today, if you don't mind."

Tom sipped some more of his tea, "Before I share it I just want to acknowledge Amma as the supreme potions master, way beyond even Snape and I."

Snape gave a small laugh, "No argument from me."

Tom then shared all the details about his experience. Afterwards he said, "I didn't know it was possible to experience that much terror and that much joy. I also need to meet this Amma to tell her 'Thank You!'."

Tom then got a surprised look on his face and said, "Oh!"

Dumbledore said, "What's wrong?"

Tom gave a small laugh and said, "I'd like to try something; would it be OK for me to have my wand for a moment? You have my word that I'll return it."

Dumbledore and Snape looked at each other. Snape said, "I have a feeling Amma would say it's OK."

Dumbledore felt inside himself and agreed. "Yes, that will be OK." Snape handed the wand over to Tom.

Tom stood up. Still with a smile on his face, Tom held his wand out and closed his eyes, remembering the vision of his family playing with him at the edge of the cliff in the sunshine. Tom filled himself with the blissful memory. Then, with a little laugh he said, "Expecto Patronum!"

From the tip of his wand there was a flash of light and a shining, majestic very large wolf appeared. Tom looked at it with amazement, then leaned down. The glowing bright wolf came up to Tom and nuzzled his face. With tears in his eyes Tom reached out and stroked the majestic patronus. The wolf calmly gazed into his eyes for a while. Then Tom put his hand to his heart and the wolf leaned it's head up and gave a beautiful joyful howl. It nuzzled Tom a final time then faded. Tom stayed there for a few moments with some tears moving down his face.

The other three looked at the scene with amazement and joy. Tom's patronus was exceptionally powerful and beautiful.

Dumbledore said, "Don't tell Remus." Snape and Tom laughed.

Then Tom stood and handed his wand toward Dumbledore. Dumbledore just held up his hand and said, "No, you may keep it. Anyone who can cast such a glorious patronus is clearly not a danger to anyone."

Snape then said to Dumbledore, "Amma has beautifully kept her side of the bargain. Now it's our turn, and I think that Tom can help."

Dumbledore looked a little confused, "What do you mean?"

Snape said, "You remember the Unbreakable Vow we all made if Amma's potion healed Voldemort?"

Dumbledore's face lit up, "Ahh. Yes, I do. To try and destroy the dementors."

Snape explained to Tom the circumstances surrounding the Unbreakable Vow they made.

Snape said, "Well, we all know the most obvious method to try and destroy them is to get as many people as possible to surround them with patronuses. Now that we know that Tom can cast an exceptionally strong patronus, he could be a great help in that effort. I think this is Amma's way of telling us that this is the approach we should take towards the dementors."

Tom laughed and said, "Well, if you all decide to toss me into Azkeban, not having the dementors there will make it slightly more bearable!"

Dumbledore smiled and said, "After all I've seen, I don't think they'll be tossing you into Azkeban. From all that I can see, Voldemort is dead and gone and not available to stand trial. And the Tom Riddle that is here now has no connection with the former Voldemort. And, it's highly likely that the Wizengamot will soon be controlled by wizards and witches with common sense and fairness, and not that crowd of pure blood idiots."

Dumbledore paused and continued, "We'll plan a meeting with the senior staff to discuss what to do. In all likelihood they will all want to meet with you to see for themselves that Voldemort is truly gone. I'll use a pensieve to show them the memory of our meeting here."

Snape asked Tom, "Do you have a pensieve here?" Tom replied, "Yes, I've got three of them. Did you need one?"

Snape said, "I think it would be helpful for you to put the memory of your experience with the potion into a pensieve. I could then shrink down the pensieve and take it back to Hogwarts. That way everyone there could directly experience how Amma's potion healed you in a very profound way. That would go a long way toward helping them realize that Voldemort is truly gone. Also I would add to it the memory I have of seeing you create the patronus. That should remove any doubt. No one creates a patronus like that unless they have a deep well of light, joy and goodness inside."

Tom retrieved the pensieve and put his memory inside. Snape then added his memory from the morning. Snape then sealed the pensieve with a cover, shrunk it down and placed it in his robe.

Dumbledore said to Tom, "Would it be OK to put a tracking charm on you? Moody and Amelia Bones would have my head on a platter if I didn't do that to the former Voldemort. Once they see the memories and meet you, we can remove it."

Tom replied, "That would be no problem. In all honesty I need to stay here for a while anyway. The experience I had this morning has kind of overloaded my mind and emotions in a very good way. But I need some quiet time to process and digest it."

Tom paused for a moment. "If you see Lucius, tell him he's welcome to come and see me. It will be very interesting to see how he digests all this sudden change. He's one of those pure blood idiots, but he's also a very shrewd man who can respond with common sense when the winds shift to a new direction. Or at least I think so."

Snape said, "I'll also talk to him if I see him. With his Dark Mark gone and after seeing that patronus, a little sanity may dawn in his thick blond skull. In any case, he may already be long gone to one of his other homes."

Snape looked to Dumbledore, "Anything else?"

Dumbledore said, "Yes, something else to consider." He turned toward Tom, "It seems possible that some of the former Death Eaters may want to try and kill you for some reason. One or more of them could come here. Do you feel safe here? Do you think you need any aurors to guard the house?"

Tom thought for a moment. "I think I'll be safe. As you know, the wards to this house are some of the strongest in the world. No one can enter unless I adjust the wards. And it would take a small army of curse breakers a while to even make a dent in them. I'll be safe. And when I see Amma I'll ask her to make some more of that potion so I can give it to any former Death Eaters I meet."

Snape smiled and Dumbledore gave a small laugh. Dumbledore said, "I may also ask Amma for some more. I can sneak it in the drink of any young potential Dark Lord I come across. We get all kinds of students at Hogwarts."

Tom smiled and said, "I know. They let _me_ in and look how that turned out."

The four of them laughed.

Dumbledore looked serious for a moment and asked Tom, "What about Bellatrix? Could she become a Dark Witch?"

Tom raised his eyebrows and said, "Ugh. Bellatrix. She is a real piece of work. That's a damn good question. I hadn't thought about that. For years I've had a very subtle and very effective tracking spell on her. She is totally batty and I, or Voldemort, needed to know where she was at all times. Coming back to Tom Riddle has not reduced my magical powers, so I could still easily defeat her in a duel. I've developed a long lasting version of the somnium spell, so I could try and trick her into coming here and essentially put her in a coma until we figure out what to do with her. Maybe just obliviate her back to 10 or 11 years old, although I don't feel good doing something like that."

Tom thought for a moment more and said, "She is pretty dangerous. Who knows what she'll do. Some of the former Death Eaters could gather around her and that would be a nightmare. Voldemort version two. Ugh. Do you think it's better that we take care of her sooner rather than later?"

Snape said, "If she could potentially gather Death Eaters around her, then definitely sooner. Albus?"

Dumbledore sighed and said, "I agree, sooner. Easier to prevent a mess than to clean it up."

Tom said, "I have a telepathic link with Bellatrix. I'll put on the Voldemort form and call her here. Could you both cast invisibility spells and have your wands ready? I'll stupefy her as soon as she arrives but if something happens just stupefy her. Ready?"

Snape and Dumbledore nodded. Then all three stepped outside to the grand backyard and cold late afternoon air. Snape and Dumbledore moved to either side of Tom a few meters away, then cast the invisibility spell on themselves and had their wands ready.

Tom waved his wand toward himself, morphed into the Voldemort form and then looked off into the distance. Then a few minutes later Bellatrix apparated in with a 'crack!'. Tom instantly held out his wand and said, "Stupefy!" A red bolt shot out of his wand, struck Bellatrix right in her chest and she fell over unconscious. Tom took her wand and then waved his wand to create a 3 meter by 3 meter cage nearby on a slightly raised wooden platform. Tom floated Bellatrix into the cage and onto a comfortable bed inside. The door closed and locked with a click. Then Tom waved his wand around the cage adding a privacy screen all around and protecting it with strong wards of various types.

Tom stepped back, dropped the Voldemort disguise and the three of them went back into the living room.

After sitting Tom said, "I put a temperature control charm on the cage so it's always comfortable. It also has an expansion charm so it's about 4 times bigger on the inside. There's a private bathroom with hot water and the House elves will bring her food. And, needless to say, I've put some very strong wards all around it; she won't be going anywhere, especially without her wand. I've got some ideas of how to help her, but I need to think about it some more first."

Tom paused and smiled. "Actually, what I really want is to give Bellatrix some of that Amma potion. I'll ask Amma for another bottle when I see her."

Tom continued, "With Bellatrix out of the picture, the remaining former Death Eaters won't have anyone to rally around. Lucius Malfoy is a powerful wizard, but does not have sufficient power to be anything like a real Dark Lord. Also, unlike Bellatrix, he has no stomach or personality for what that role requires."

Tom looked at Snape, Dumbledore and Nagini, "I think it's now OK for us to breathe another sigh of relief. Now there's almost zero chance for the Wizarding war to rekindle."

Dumbledore asked, "Bellatrix is fanatically loyal to you. Will the loss of her Dark Mark cause her to feel less loyalty?"

Tom replied, "I don't think so. She was fanatically loyal to me well before I gave her the Dark Mark, so I think that hasn't changed."

Snape said, "I will join you in breathing that sigh of relief. Bellatrix was a true monster and I'm happy that you" He looked to Dumbledore. "thought of that sooner rather than later."

Snape then turned to Nagini and said, "Anything we can do for you?" She replied, "No, I'm good. I think I'll stay here for a while and see what I want to do with my life. When I was a young girl I liked to draw so I think I'll practice that. A nice way to pass the time and consider my options. Perhaps I'll find a good muggle art school to attend."

Snape said to Tom, "We'll keep you posted about that meeting." Snape and Dumbledore stood up. Dumbledore went to Tom and cast the tracking spell on him. Snape reached out his hand to Tom and shook it, saying, "Welcome back. You had a hard journey, but thanks to Amma you've returned."

Dumbledore also reached out to shake hands with Tom. "I never thought I would see this day, but in the last week or so I've seen no shortage of miracles. Very soon all of wizarding Britain will breathe a big sigh of relief. I also say 'welcome back'."

Tom nodded and said, "It's good to be back. I'll also stay here for a while until I hear from you. Oh, by the way. There may be some books in my library you may find useful for the Hogwarts library. Next time you visit you can have a look."

Snape and Dumbledore apparated back to Hogwarts.

Tom turned to Nagini and asked, "Shall we enjoy a walk through some of the forest trails? After my experience with the potion, I'm feeling an urge to be close to nature."

Nagini stood and smiled, "Yes, that would be lovely."

~~~ end of chapter 16 ~~~


	17. Chapter 17

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 **Disclaimer:** All recognizable characters and settings belong to J. K. Rowling.

~o~o~o~

**Chapter 17**

~o~o~o~

As soon as Snape and Dumbledore arrived back at Hogwarts, Dumbledore called a House elf to notify McGonagall, Moody, Shacklebolt, Nymphadora Tonks, Harry Potter and Amelia Bones to an immediate meeting.

Soon they were all gathered in Dumbledore's office. He floated the pensieve to the middle and Snape placed his memories into the shallow bowl. It expanded to allow everyone to view. The memory played back at fast speed and with the magic of the pensieve, all the viewers felt like they were experiencing it in normal time. Then Snape pulled out Tom Riddle's pensieve from his robe, expanded it and everyone experienced the entirety of his inner journey after taking Amma's potion. Then they all experienced Dumbledore's memory of the events at Sadova Castle.

Then the pensieve was returned to its place in the office. Everyone sat down and Dumbledore spoke, "So it seems that Amma's potion worked even better than we could have hoped. Snape and I both agree that Voldemort is gone and Tom Riddle has been deeply healed and transformed by the potion. He is no longer a threat and, dare I say it, could even be an ally. This means that the Wizarding war is over. Voldemort is gone, and Bellatrix is captured and unable to gather former Death Eaters or be a threat to anyone. Dark Marks are gone and Death Eaters are scattering to the four winds. The power balance in the Wizengamot will quickly change in our favor and, finally, life for all of us, and most importantly, our students, may get back to normal."

Amelia said, "This is truly a puzzle. It's clear that Tom Riddle is profoundly transformed. Should he be held responsible for Voldemort's crimes? Partially responsible? I don't know. I think I would have to meet him to really answer those questions."

Nymphadora Tonks said, "A good argument could be made that those are questions to be resolved in the Wizengamot. I'm guessing it will take a few weeks for all the dust to settle, then they'll be able to meet and address them. In the meantime, Dumbledore has a tracking charm on Tom Riddle. And as long as Riddle proves to be harmless, all that can wait until the Wizengamot is functioning again. Tom Riddle clearly acknowledged his crimes as Voldemort and, it seems to me, shows genuine remorse. And, by capturing Bellatrix, he has done us a huge favor."

Amelia asked, "Shall we pursue the Death Eaters? Many of them also committed horrendous crimes. And the DMLE has valid arrest warrants out for many of them."

The group discussed this for some time and agreed that with the threat of Voldemort and Bellatrix gone, the DMLE had more than enough aurors to pursue and capture the former Death Eaters, beginning with the ones accused of the most heinous crimes.

Shacklebolt said, "Some of them are pretty tough cookies. Make sure and send a large force of aurors to capture them. And have backups on hand. I suggest we quickly send a few to watch Malfoy Manor to see if Lucius is still there. If he is, we can detect when he apparates out and then check his other known houses around Europe. I don't think Draco will be attending next semester at Hogwarts."

McGonagall said, "I want to take a moment to acknowledge the bravery of Severus Snape. At great risk of capture, torture and death, he served us well as a spy into Voldemort's organization. And he took the big risk of delivering Amma's potion to Voldemort, hoping that it would not be detected as a fake. This action was key to helping bring an end to this awful war." She looked at Severus. "I know you don't care for such things, but I will begin the paperwork to nominate you for Order of Merlin, First Class."

This drew a large round of applause from the group. Severus bowed his head toward McGonagall and tried to keep his expression impassive, but a slight smile did escape. He said, "Thank you, Minerva. For reasons that I think most of you are aware, I had no choice but to play this role. Forces and circumstances larger than me dictated I do so. And, your acknowledgment is appreciated. Though it is now obvious to us all, it is really Amma who orchestrated the healing of Tom Riddle and the end of the war. Her effortless actions have saved many lives and prevented much destruction. She is the real hero, in my mind. I thought I was competent in potions, but she is the real master. A pity she is too busy hugging people with no time to give me private potions lessons."

This drew a laugh from the group.

They discussed some other matters for a while, then Dumbledore said, "As Snape mentioned in the memory we saw, Amma has lived up to her side of the bargain. Now we must do what we can regarding the dementors. I have no doubt that once the new Wizengamot ministers are sworn in, they will pass a resolution to support our efforts to try and destroy the dementors. And we all here look forward to the day when, hopefully, they are destroyed. And I propose that I make an announcement at dinner this evening to all the students giving them the highlights of these recent events. Except for a few Slytherin students, I look forward to seeing their response."

The proposal was approved and the meeting adjourned.

~o~o~o~

Dumbledore continued his announcement amidst the clapping and cheering of the students in the Great Hall. "And so, my dear students, we can all breathe easy, and go back to being a normal school. Before I conclude, I wish to acknowledge Harry Potter and Head Boy Kongolo Baryamureeba. I request that both of you please stand."

Harry and Kongolo rose to more cheers from their classmates. "Their connection with Amma was a key link in the chain that led to the end of the war. I wish to thank them both for bringing to us awareness of Amma and especially thanks to Harry for receiving the item from Amma that became the potion to cure Tom Riddle." The cheering and clapping slowly faded as the dinner celebration continued.

~~~ end of chapter 17 ~~~


	18. Chapter 18

~o~o~o~

 **Disclaimer:** All recognizable characters and settings belong to J. K. Rowling.

~o~o~o~

**Chapter 18**

~o~o~o~

January 11th, 1997, Saturday morning, Sadova castle.

Before stepping out into the cold morning air, Tom waved his wand and transformed into the appearance of Voldemort. He opened the back door and went over to Bellatrix's prison. He stepped onto the platform and hissed, "Bellatrix!" He heard a few fast footsteps and the inner curtain was quickly pulled aside. Bellatrix said, "Master! I was terrified! My Dark Mark disappeared and I thought you were dead! You are alive. Yes! Now we can continue our glorious war against Dumbledore and his herd of muggle loving idiots!"

Voldemort hissed, "Quiet! I have no interest in your inane ramblings. I removed your Dark Mark because you alone, among all the Death Eaters, are ready for your next level of training, and the Dark Mark would be a hindrance. Only you have shown me true loyalty, thus you are ready to learn more and better serve me. Bellatrix! Do you wish to serve by my side?"

Bellatrix's eyes became wide and joyful, "Yes, my Master! Yes! What shall I learn to serve you better?"

Voldemort hissed, "Bellatrix, my only devoted servant, I need you to learn something very powerful. Something that will allow you and I to finally conquer those idiots Dumbledore and Harry Potter. I need you to learn the ways of the patronus forms. Dumbledore and many of his blasted allies use their patronus to help them in this war. So you must learn how to deal with them. After many years of effort I have finally learned how to cast a patronus!"

Bellatrix was sincerely amazed to hear this. Dark wizards and witches were unable to cast the patronus spell, in spite of their efforts. Bellatrix said in a whisper, "Master, is it true?"

Voldemort held out his wand, closed his eyes for a few seconds, thought of his family, felt the joy inside and said, "Expecto Patronum!" The large glowing white wolf appeared and walked up to Voldemort who knelt down and, through his eyes, expressed his love for the patronus.

Bellatrix just looked on with stunned amazement! Her Master had cast a patronus! And a truly glorious patronus. Through her warped and angry mind, a very small and very deeply buried part of Bellatrix could feel the genuine goodness of the patronus.

Then he stood and said to Bellatrix, "The more you learn about the patronus, the better you can help me deal with Dumbledore and his followers. So your task is to make friends with my patronus, to learn its patterns and it's nature. Look at me, Bellatrix." Bellatrix placed her full attention on Voldemort. "You cannot do this through intimidation or threats or bullying or manipulation. The only way is to become a genuine friend to my patronus. Only then will you gain the skills you need to help me succeed. Do you understand?"

Bellatrix said, "Yes, Master. I understand. I am to make friends with your patronus."

Voldemort said, "If you fail in this task, then I do not know if we can ever deal with Dumbledore and Potter. You must succeed. Only you, among all my Death Eaters, have the loyalty and intelligence to accomplish this task. I am depending on you."

"Yes, Master. I will not fail you."

Voldemort hissed, "See that you don't." and walked away. Voldemort had adjusted the privacy screens on Bellatrix's prison so she could not see the mansion, only the yard and the forest beyond.

Bellatrix leaned down and slowly placed her hand through the bars toward the glowing wolf. Carefully it moved it's nose towards Bellatrix's hand, then pulled back and calmly looked at her. Bellatrix looked at the serene glowing yellow eyes of the wolf, seeking to understand.

~o~o~o~

January 20th, 1997, morning, Wizengamot.

Early on in the trial of Voldemort / Tom Riddle, Albus Dumbledore, newly appointed Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, indicated the ornate pensieve located in front of the high Panel bench. Dumbledore said, "The relevant memories of Severus Snape, Tom Riddle and myself have been placed in this pensieve. We will now replay and project these memories for everyone in this Chamber. If you don't wish to experience the memories, simply raise your right hand and you will not receive them."

Dumbledore looked around the Chamber and made note of the very few people who had raised their right hand. Then he took his wand out and waved it while reciting a short spell. Then he waved his wand at the pensieve which began to glow brightly. Thin silver tendrils from the pensieve reached out to almost everyone in the room and then they all experienced the memories in accelerated time. After a while the silver tendrils retreated back into the pensieve. Immediately everyone began to speak to their neighbors in surprised and excited voices.

Harry Potter, seated near the back, also experienced all the memories. Experiencing Riddle's memories of taking the potion caused him to think about his own recent transformation. Amma's removal of his horcrux allowed him to look at and _feel_ life in a whole new way. Now he knew that real transformation was possible. By taking a step toward healing, the energies of healing took many steps towards him in return. In the past it would have been nearly impossible to believe that Voldemort could ever truly change. But now, he knew it was possible. A small part of his mind, his old self, still doubted Voldemort's transformation to Tom Riddle. But his new self, relaxed in himself and the world, knew that Voldemort's transformation was genuine. Harry could also feel this possibility for others, and it helped him feel more spacious towards those still mired in darkness.

After the voices died down the trial continued. After about another 90 minutes of testimony and questioning, Dumbledore and other eight members of the Panel of the Guardians of Wizarding Laws rose and solemnly retreated to their Consultation Chambers. Audience members rose and moved about, getting tea and snacks that were made available.

After about 30 minutes, Dumbledore and the other eight Panel Members emerged from the ornate doors of the Consultation Chambers. Everyone in the Great Chamber of the Wizengamot stood upon Albus' entry. Everyone except Tom Riddle, who was seated and magically bound in the Chair of Provisional Binding. Albus sat down and, with his magically amplified voice, said, "All Honorable Members and others be seated, please." The eight members of the Panel also settled into their seats and arranged their parchments on their desks.

Looking over his half moon glasses at the Members of the Wizengamot, at Tom and the others seated in the Audience area, Dumbledore eventually found Harry Potter seated near the back of the Audience area. Dumbledore very briefly met his gaze from across the Great Chamber and then looked at his parchments.

Then Dumbledore spoke, "This Panel has completed their deliberations concerning the alleged crimes of the one known as Voldemort. After viewing and weighing all the evidence, this Panel unanimously finds Voldemort to be guilty of all crimes."

Suddenly there was an eruption of raised voices throughout the Chamber. Dumbledore, tapped his gavel a few times and slowly the noise died down. Dumbledore continued, "The Panel has also determined that the one called Voldemort died on the morning of January 10th, 1997. Thus Voldemort is hereby posthumously guilty."

Throughout the chamber there was an eruption of cheers and clapping. Dumbledore again tapped his gavel. "Order, please."

Then he continued. "It has been determined by the Panel that the person seated before us is only connected to Voldemort by the circumstance of their inhabiting the same body, and that through circumstances beyond his control, the entity of Voldemort took root, grew and ultimately controlled the form belonging to Tom Riddle. The Tom Riddle seated before us has been carefully examined by the Panel and by various experts in the Mind Healing arts and has been found whole and sane and a danger to no one. Therefore this Tom Riddle, the rightful occupier of his body, is deemed to be fundamentally distinct and separate from the former entity named Voldemort. In a similar manner a disease can affect the mind causing grievous behavior, but when the disease is verifiably cured, the person is deemed to be innocent of such behavior."

Dumbledore paused and again briefly looked around the Chamber, "As we all witnessed earlier, under three drops of veritaserum, Tom Riddle expressed sincere remorse for the crimes that Voldemort committed. And he also expressed a willingness to abide by the judgment of this Panel, even if that means life in prison. Keep in mind Tom Riddle said these things even though he is still arguably one of the most powerful wizards in the world."

Dumbledore briefly looked down at the parchments on his desk and announced, "This Panel finds Tom Riddle to be a free man. This Panel is adjourned." Dumbledore stuck his gavel twice as more cheers erupted around the room.

Harry Potter rose from his seat and made his way through the crowd. Kongolo, Sylvia and Thyrsa walked with Harry, but he was only dimly aware of their presence. Tom Riddle was released from the chair and he stood up talking with a few people who had gathered around him. When they saw Harry Potter they became quiet and stepped back. Harry walked and stood in front of Tom. Tom sat down in his chair so he could look at Harry from the same height. Harry was quiet as he looked at Tom and Tom returned his gaze. After a moment, tears began to flow down Tom's cheek.

Harry simply asked, "Why are you crying?"

Tom replied, "When Voldemort died the memories of what he did also faded somewhat from my mind. But they are still there to some degree. If I were to remember his crimes with no dimming, I would likely go insane. So I can remember them in a diminished way. So I see what he did to your parents, and that makes me cry."

Harry looked at Tom some more and said, "It makes me cry also."

Tom said, "I'm so sorry you had to go through all that pain."

Harry looked around at his three friends. "It will always be painful, but friends help." The three friends moved in closer to Harry and they put their arms around him.

Tom sniffed, looked at Thyrsa, Kongolo and Sylvia and said, "Good friends are the best."

Harry said, "Yeah. They are." He paused. "Do you have friends Mr. Riddle?"

Tom thought for a moment, put his hand to his heart and said, "By a miracle, I have found my best friends inside." Then he smiled and said, "You all may be surprised to hear this, but I don't have too many friends on the outside."

Harry and his friend smiled at this. Harry said, "Your patronus is pretty awesome."

Tom said, "Thanks." He used his handkerchief to wipe his eyes.

Harry said, "We're going for lunch. Would you like to join us?"

Tom said, "Sure." He stood up and together they left the Chamber.

~o~o~o~

As they were eating Thyrsa said to Tom, "I don't mean to be rude, Mr. Riddle, but I can't tell you how weird it is to be having a casual lunch with the former Voldemort."

Tom swallowed his mouthful of lasagna and said, "Would you like an autograph?"

They all laughed. Sylvia asked, "Would you sign it 'Tom' or 'Voldemort'?"

Tom said, "How about both? May make it more valuable if you ever want to sell it."

More laughter. Thyrsa said, "Now we're joking around with the former Voldemort! This is getting weirder by the minute."

Tom said, "This is nothing, if you want to really experience weird, just try some of Amma's potion. Never thought I had such a scary and amazing world existing right in my own head. I'm still trying to process it; don't know if I'll ever finish."

Kongolo said, "I've heard the muggles have something like what the Amma potion does. I don't know any details, but a few of my older muggle friends in my former dojo talked about some things that give a similar experience to your memory that you put in the pensieve. Can't remember the names or anything."

Tom said, "Many years ago, not long after I graduated from Hogwarts I traveled around Central and South America to learn from the wizards and witches there. One or two of them spoke of special muggle plants and potions that were supposed to expand the mind. From what they described, it gave a similar experience as Amma's potion, but I never tried them. I was pretty thick headed in those days and thought that anything from muggles would be useless. Well, with Amma, I've changed my tune."

Harry said, "I've had a similar experience, she helped me change my tune also. I like it."

They continued to share and enjoy their lunch.

Harry said to Tom, "You know, you'd probably make a great Defense Against the Dark Arts professor."

Tom adopted a confused expression and rubbed his chin, "'Dark Arts? Sounds vaguely familiar. What are they?"

Harry laughed and gently punched him in the arm.

~~~ end of chapter 18 ~~~


	19. Chapter 19

~o~o~o~

 **Disclaimer:** All recognizable characters and settings belong to J. K. Rowling.

~o~o~o~

**Chapter 19**

~o~o~o~

January 25th, 1997, Thursday afternoon. Offices of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, DMLE at the Ministry of Magic. Hogwarts.

Amelia Bones, Head of the DMLE, said to everyone present at the meeting, "Good, we're all agreed on the plan to destroy, well, _try_ and destroy the dementors Azkeban. As we all know, there is no known way to destroy a dementor, but we will all sincerely wish that Amma's magic will somehow intervene. We shall see."

Amelia turned to Nymphadora Tonks and Madame Pomfrey and said, "Now I would like for Tonks and Madame Pomfrey to take the floor. They have created a plan to reform the prison system and from what little I've heard so far, I'm strongly in favor. Now that Voldemort and the Death Eaters are a bad dream and no longer control the Wizengamot, we have a great opportunity to implement some long overdue reforms. Tonks and Madame Pomfrey, the floor is yours."

Tonks began, "Thank you, Amelia. Hopefully soon those dreadful dementors will be gone and we can all start treating the prisoners as human beings rather subjecting them to years of unending torture. In the muggle world there is a phrase that you can tell the character of a people or a nation by how they treat their prisoners. So after much discussion, Madame Pomfrey and I have created a plan to reform our penal system from one of just punishment to one of rehabilitation, reform and protection of the general population. Our plan centers around treating prisoners first and foremost as human beings who need help." Tonks looked to Madame Pomfrey.

Madame Pomfrey said, "As a healer one part of my training was how to heal the mind. Many, many things can damage the mind, causing someone to do what they wouldn't ordinarily do. And that is the case with most prisoners; they commit their crimes because of some past trauma or some inborn damage to the mind. So rather than just throw them in prison, let's first put them in a place where they can't harm others. And then let's see how much they can be healed."

The meeting continued as Tonks and Madam Pomfrey made their presentation and then discussed with everyone how to implement the changes.

~o~o~o~

January 28th, 1997, Sunday, Azkeban.

Most of those at Hogwarts, the Ministry and the Wizengamot who could cast a patronus were all standing around the third level platform at Azkeban. Their patronuses were all cast and standing in front of each one, including a large wolf seated in front of Tom Riddle and, next to him was a majestic stag standing in front of Harry Potter.

Down below in the Pit the dementors were moving around in an agitated manner. Normally they just experienced the patronuses of the aurors who patrolled the cells; maybe three patronuses at most. They had never experienced fifty patronuses surrounding them.

Once everyone had spread out fairly evenly around the platform Dumbledore, as per the prearranged plan, raised his hand and all the patronuses slowly moved down toward the Pit. The dementors began to squeeze in tighter and tighter to escape the energy of the glowing creatures of light and goodness. The patronuses continued to tighten the circle around the dementors.

Soon some of the dementors began to float upwards to escape. As they did, some of the people became frightened that they would float away and escape. However, when the dementors floated up to a certain height, a ball of golden light flew down to meet each rising dementor. The dementors tried to quickly move away from the light, but were too slow. The light quickly accelerated and entered the chest of the floating dementor. When that happened there was a flash of light and all that remained was the ball of light which flew back up until it was lost from sight. This happened for each dementor that tried to float up and escape. Soon all the dementors had been transformed into light. One by one the prisoners began to cheer, and quickly more joined in.

The patronuses returned to their respective wizards and witches. The aurors who guarded Azkeban day after day and year after year were especially happy to no longer have the onerous job of being surrounded by the horrible energy of the dementors. The healers among the people gathered saw the terrible mental condition of many of the prisoners and began making plans for starting their healing regimens.

For the first time in almost 300 years some sunlight reached down into the bottom of Azkeban.

~o~o~o~

March 18th, 1997, Tuesday early, evening, Sadova Castle, Romania.

Tom put on his Voldemort form and stepped outside into the darkening evening. The sun had set a little earlier and the hills beyond were quickly becoming just black shapes under the dark purple sky and dark clouds. Tom cast an invisibility spell on himself and then cast his wolf patronus. The patronus walked up to the platform and sat down, waiting patiently.

Tom also quietly walked around to the eastern entrance side of Bellatrix's prison. Strangely, Bellatrix did not move back her inner curtain. Always when she saw the light of the patronus coming through the curtain, she would open it and try various ways of making contact with the patronus. Tom could sense that, very slowly, his plan was working, Bellatrix was gradually learning how to make her mind more calm and peaceful which would cause the patronus to stay or even, sometimes, come closer. In the beginning the patronus would almost always stay for just a little while before moving away or returning to Tom.

Tom and the patronus both stood still and silent for a while. The early spring birds had mostly settled in for the night but a few were still chirping here and there. After about 10 minutes the patronus stood and moved through the bars and the curtain and disappeared into Bellatrix's prison.

This was a first, the patronus had never gone inside before.

Tom closed his eyes, became even more quiet and still inside and energized his magical connection with the patronus. He could now see through the eyes of the patronus. He saw Bellatrix seated on the edge of a comfortable chair, her back straight, eyes closed and hands resting on her knees.

A small part of Bellatrix's consciousness registered the presence of the patronus and absorbed the goodness and peace that it radiated. The larger part of her consciousness was expanded to a place of deep silence and bliss. To Bellatrix, this felt like a safe and welcoming home and it called her deeply to remain there for as long as possible. The patronus made a small noise of joy, curled up at Bellatrix's feet, closed its eyes and joined Bellatrix in that place.

Tom saw all this through the eyes and spirit of his patronus. He removed the invisibility spell and the Voldemort form, then sat in one of the comfortable chairs resting on the flagstones outside the large glass door. He gave himself a quick warming spell to ward off the cold evening chill. Then, still connected with the patronus, he joined it and Bellatrix in that place of deep bliss.

Before sinking in fully, he made a mental note to contact the Mind Healers at St. Mungo's to begin the next stage of Bellatrix's healing.

~o~o~o~

**end of chapter 19 and end of story**

~o~o~o~


End file.
